Somebody To Love
by NanbeiNoHana
Summary: Understand that I am not playing difficult. I am not trying to get your attention. I do not have feelings for you anymore. I. Moved. On. [NejiSaku FLUFF, other pairings too. Chapters are based on songs. Rated T just to be safe.]
1. Love Of My Life

A/N: Hi there! I'm a HUGE Queen fan, that's why I decided to write a fic about one of my favorite anime couples based on a few songs by this great band. So each chapter is named after a Queen song and the story is loosely based on the lyrics. I hope you like it! In the beginning of the story, Sakura is 17, so you do the math and find out everyone's age ;-) 

Disclaimer: I own Naruto, Queen, The Coca-cola Company and Microsoft. Strangely enough I don't get a dime from their profits, go figure…(obviously I own nothing but the idea of this story).

**_Somebody to Love_**

**Chapter 1. Love of my life**

Seventeen-year old Sakura was, as any other normal day, at the hospital. Her shift started peacefully, only children with minor injuries. 'I'm so having an easy time today' she thought, stretching before checking her schedule for more patients. None! That was a good thing, the least thing she needed was an emergency…

Then the red light was turned on, which meant that very bad injured shinobi were on their way to the hospital. 'Great. Just great. It was too soon to be happy' she sighed. Sakura knew it wouldn't be good. Indeed, Tenten, Kiba and Sasuke were deeply wounded. The medic-nin ran to them and noticed that Sasuke had the worst condition among the three.

"Ok, everyone" she said, fully aware of what she needed to do. "Kaori, go find Tsunade-shishou and Shizune now! Suzumi and Takeo, get Tenten to room 3 and heal her right now. Chiharu and Koji, you two get Inuzuka and Akamaru to room 5, you know what to do. Yuka and Katsuo, come with me to room 8. The Uchiha is barely alive. Move!"

Everyone did as they were told. Sakura looked at Sasuke and her heart clenched. He could have been mean to her, but he was still a fellow shinobi. She was a professional, a medic-nin, and it should be above everything. She put the past away and focused on healing her former teammate.

Flashback

_Love of my life - you've hurt me  
You've broken my heart and now you leave me  
Love of my life can't you see  
Bring it back, bring it back  
Don't take it away from me, because you don't know -  
What it means to me_

"Sasuke-kuuuuuuuuuuun" Sakura waved at her former teammate. It was only six months ago that he had returned to Konoha. He spent about two months at the hospital. As soon as he was released, Tsunade performed several tests on him, both physical and psychological. The Hokage decided that he should work again as a Konoha-nin. This day he was assigned to a very dangerous mission with Tenten and Kiba, starting in two days. Sakura looked for him in between her shifts, she needed to say goodbye and wish him good luck. He was about 150 feet from her, so she ran towards him. "Sasuke-kun! What are you doing tonight?" she smiled, her jade eyes full of love and hope.

"It's none of your business" he answered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and closing his onyx eyes. Little did he now that this gesture made him three times hot, at least to Sakura's eyes.

"Awn, don't be mean, Sasuke-kun! Ne, we could go to this new restaurant, I heard they…"

"Sakura" he interrupted her, opening his eyes and looking straight at hers. "I know you're not stupid, so why can't you understand?" he frowned, getting angry by her mere presence.

"Understand what?" she said faintly, she knew what he meant but she played dumb.

He rolled his eyes. "Look at me and pay attention to this, I'm only saying it once more. I. Don't. Like. You. So stop bugging me, I won't go out with you, the only reason why I even talk to you is because sometimes we have to work together. Otherwise I wouldn't even know you existed." He sighed. How many times has him told her that? But she never seemed to give up. "And spare me your tears; I can't believe you're still an annoying cry baby. Why can't you just forget about me?".

"But…" her eyes were moist, her lower lip trembled.

"Get the hell out of my life! And I mean it." Gee, that girl was really pissing him off. He was away for four years and had almost forgotten about her. How could she have kept feeding a childish crush?

"Very well." There was hurt in her voice, not that he cared. She slowly turned around and left the cold-hearted Uchiha behind.

_Love of my life don't leave me  
You've taken my love, you now desert me  
Love of my life can't you see  
Bring it back, bring it back  
Don't take it away from me, because you don't know -  
What it means to me_

When she was sure she left his eyesight, she started to run, crying her eyes out. 'I can't believe it! How can I be stupid enough to still love such a monster? Why can't I take him out of my thoughts? Stupid stupid stupid me'

'**Stupid indeed'** Inner Sakura stated.

'I don't need YOU to say it, I already know it ok? It is hard enough to have two people mistreating me! You could at least support me for a change!' while crying and arguing with her inner self, Sakura wasn't really paying attention where she was going. Suddenly she bumped into something – someone. Behind her tears she saw dark long hair and white eyes.

"Hinata-chaaaaaaaaan" she threw herself at the clueless girl, crying even harder. "He… annoying… hates me… stupid…" she said between sobs. Hinata's eyes were wide as dinner plates.

"Sakura-chan! I can't understand a thing, but please don't cry that much! Calm down and tell us what happened" Sakura didn't notice, but Kiba was beside Hinata.

"I think I might know what's happening" he said, then mouthed 'Sasuke' to Hinata. She nodded.

"Ne, I'll take you to my home and you'll stay with me until you calm down. Kiba, help me here" Sakura wasn't really able to walk properly. The Hyuuga heiress got her left side, while the Inuzuka boy took her right side. They slowly made their way to the Hyuuga compound.

Once there, Hinata got some chamomile tea. She handed one cup to Kiba, another to a very shaky Sakura, and took the last one to herself. The pink haired kunoichi took a sip, the warmth welcomed by her throat. She calmed down a bit, or at least wasn't crying that hard.

"Ok then, now take your time and tell us what happened." Hinata said in the sweetest voice she could have.

"Oh, it's just me being stupid and Sasuke-kun being Sasuke-kun" she said bitterly. How she wanted to get him out of her heart for good. Unfortunately her heart was stubborn and refused to let him go.

"Sakura, I'm going to be honest with you, so please take me seriously. You're SO strong and talented and beautiful – don't you even try to deny it! That Uchiha bastard doesn't deserve a tiny bit of your attention, let alone your love. Why do you love him anyway? All I see is you in pain because of him" Hinata nodded at Kiba's words, he was absolutely right.

"I don't know why I feel this way about him. I guess I just need to love someone and it happened to be him… Pathetic, huh?" she smiled sarcastically.

"Then we know how to solve your problem!" Hinata's eyes were wide in contentment. Sakura looked at her in disbelief. "You need somebody to love, right? Find someone else!" Obvious, wasn't it?

"If it was so easy, I would have been out of this long ago… But you don't find somebody to love as easy as you buy bread." The medic-nin answered.

"C'mon Sakura, you say it like you were really looking for someone. You just closed your eyes and heart to everyone who wasn't him. Let him go, girl! Kick him out and get a real life!" Kiba said enthusiastically.

'**Shannaro! He's so right!'**

'Hm, guess you're right this time, Inner Sakura' "Ok, you have a point there. So all I have to do is open myself and find love?" Both her friends nodded happily. It could work, and, well, she really had nothing to lose.

End of flashback

After some hours, she was finally done with Sasuke. His main injuries were healed and she was completely out of chakra. If she could have chosen, she would have healed Tenten first, then Kiba. But she knew she was the best medic there, only Tsunade being above her. She couldn't let her personal issues mess with her duties. The Uchiha prodigy was now asleep, so she left the room and went to check on the other two patients.

First she entered room 5. Kiba was awake, with Akamaru sleeping on his lap. "Hello, tough guy! Why are you not sleeping?" Sakura said playfully, relieved to see that he was ok. She took his medical file and read it, making some notes of her own.

"Why should I? C'mon, these are only scratches, tomorrow I'll be as good as new!" he smiled and she giggled.

"Scratches, huh? Very well then, Inuzuka. Now you get some sleep or else!" she winked mischievously. "I'm going to see Tenten now. If you need anything, just ask ok? And do not get up from your bed until I say so!"

"Yes, mom!" they waved at each other and Sakura closed the door behind her as she got out. Then she entered room 3, trying to make no noise. Tenten was asleep, as if nothing had happened to her. She took her friend's medical file and narrowed her eyes. Things were not very good but at least the weapon mistress was out of danger. She exited the room and found Tsunade on the hallway.

"Sakura, you've been here for too long today. I just checked on them, you know they will get better soon. Now you should go home and take some rest" Sakura opened her mouth to say she was fine, but Tsunade didn't let her speak. "Go home. Things are under control now."

"Hai, shishou" she was really in need of a break. She was tired, sweaty, smelly and covered by blood. 'Man, this job is just killing me.' Letting her feet take her home, Sakura tried to clear her head. Which wasn't hard at all; she was exhausted. Reaching her mid-sized apartment, she sighed deeply, heading to her bathroom. 'I need a good warm bath at my super duper Jacuzzi' she thought while waiting for the bathtub to be ready. Adding some therapeutic salts, Sakura sunk herself in the water, welcoming the cozy warm feeling. She closed her eyes; the best thing of working her hands to the bone was that her mind was too busy to think about Sasuke. He didn't deserve her love, she was convinced by Kiba of that. But you can't tell your heart what to do, right?

_You won't remember -  
When this is blown over  
And everything's all by the way -  
When I get older  
I will be there at your side to remind you  
How I still love you - I still love you_

She had everything planned in her mind. In her dreams, he would turn to her and say how much he always loved her. How she was the perfect girl for him. And then they would get married, have a son named Kojiro and a daughter named Nanami, both with his black hair and her green eyes. They would do everything together, because they can't be away from each other. They would even get older together and she would always be there for him as he would be there for her. Sakura laughed at herself, then let a single tear fall from her left eye.

"Right, as if it would ever happen." She was getting drowsy, both from weariness and hot water. Pulling the plug, soon the bathtub was empty. She changed to comfy pajamas, dried her hair and went to bed.

_Back - hurry back  
Please bring it back home to me  
Because you don't know what it means to me -  
Love of my life  
Love of my life_

"Tonight is the last time I'm thinking of him in this desperate way. I'm done with it" Those were her thoughts right before she drifted into sleep.


	2. Funny How Love Is

**Chapter 2. Funny how love is**

She woke up after a 15-hour sleep, feeling as if she had been born again. Obviously she hadn't got over Sasuke yet, but at least she wasn't feeling that miserable anymore. After a quick and healthy breakfast, Sakura changed into her usual attire and left her apartment. After a 10-minute walk, she entered the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Good morning, Ino!" she waved at her blonde friend. Yes, they resumed their friendship as soon as both agreed that fighting over a boy was just plain stupid.

"Good afternoon, Forehead!" Ino waved back. "So, what's up?"

Sakura approached her friend. "I'm going to the hospital, I'm going to…"

"You're such a workaholic! Today's your day off, you should be anywhere but there!" her friend scolded.

"As I was saying, I'm going to visit Kiba and Tenten. Wanna come?" She started to look for the perfect flowers for her friends. Tenten loved sunflowers, so Sakura got half a dozen of them. For Kiba, she got half a dozen of lilac irises. She was halfway from getting some carnations for Sasuke, but she remembered clearly that he said he wanted her out of her life. Besides, she was trying to get over him, so she wouldn't step into his room while not at her shift.

"Sorry, I can't" Ino said while arranging the flowers into two neat bouquets. "I have to take care of the shop today. But give them a hug for me, ok?" she handed the medic-nin the bouquets.

"All right then, Ino-pig! See ya!" the pink-haired kunoichi sighed deeply as soon as she got out of the flower shop. The day had started well, but now everything seemed to be mocking her.

_Funny__ how love is everywhere just look and see  
Funny__ how love is anywhere you're bound to be  
Funny__ how love is every song in every key  
Funny__ how love is coming home in time for tea  
Funny__, funny, funny_

The sky was blue, the sun was shining, birds were chirping. And she saw happy couples everywhere. LOTS of them. It's not that she envied other people's happiness; it's just that she wanted to have a happy love life with her Sasuke-kun. 'Guess that's asking too much, ne, Fate? Oh great, now I sound like Hyuuga. I must have hit the bottom' she was lost in her thoughts, trying her best to not see all those people kissing, hugging and cuddling. Luckily her feet were well trained; she got to the hospital easily.

'Ok, who's first? Maybe Tenten, her room is the nearest from here' on her way to room 3, she greeted some of her fellow medics and nurses. After knocking at the door, Sakura entered the room.

"Hi, Tenten! I'm glad you're awake. How do you feel?" she said while putting the sunflowers on a vase. "Oh, these are for you" she smiled at her brunette friend.

"Sakura! Good to see you. I'm feeling better than I expected… I was pretty bad injured yesterday, ne?" Sakura nodded. "You just missed the guys; they stopped by before going to the training fields. Those boys are so sweet when concerned about me" Tenten giggled softly. By "the guys", she meant two green spandex users and a somewhat cold prodigy. Sakura wondered about how her friend could see sweetness on those three, but shrugged and started a happy girl chat.

_Funny__ how love is the end of lies when the truth begins  
Tomorrow__ comes tomorrow beings  
Tomorrow__ brings love in the shape of things  
That's__ what love is, that's what love is_

Sakura heard the door being opened and saw Tenten's eyes and smile widen greatly. She turned around; at the door frame was Hike Masahiro, Tenten's boyfriend. She waved at him.

"Haruno-sensei, when can I get my girl from here?" he asked while walking to his girlfriend's bed, kissing her forehead. The medic-nin felt a bit jealous, she couldn't help it. 'This unrequited love of mine is driving me crazy! Now I'm jealous of Tenten's relationship. But wishing for a boyfriend is not a crime…"

"Well, Hike-san, I'm here as a friend, not as a doctor" she said playfully, trying to hide the bitterness that was growing in her heart. "But this girl recovers fast, I'm sure she'll be out of here by the end of this week." She smiled sadly at the couple in front of her. "Well, I'm going to see Kiba now. Get well soon, Tenten! And take care of her, Hike-san, or else!" she winked and got out of the room.

_Funny__ how love is can break your heart so suddenly  
Funny__ how love came tumbling down with Adam and Eve  
Funny__ how love is running wild and feeling free  
Funny__ how live is coming home in time for tea  
Funny__, funny, funny_

"Sakura-chan!" someone yelled at her, the voice echoing through the hallway. Sakura glared at her blonde friend.

"Naruto! Where do you think you are? This is a hospital, you can't disturb the patients." He gave her a 'whatever' look.

"Anyway, Sakura-chan, where's Sasuke-teme? I heard he got here yesterday almost dead."

"Yeah, Naruto, he was pretty bad. But I was able to heal him on time, although it cost all my chakra. He's on room 8" she pointed the direction.

"Thanks! Are you coming?" she shook her head.

"No, actually I'm going to visit Kiba. Besides, Sasuke is probably asleep now. And if it's the case, don't you wake him up, ok? See ya" she entered room 5.

'Ha, no way I'm letting teme rest! I'm sure… Whoa, did Sakura-chan just say Sasuke, not Sasuke-kun? Nah, I probably misheard her.' While thinking, he entered room 8.

Room 5

"Good afternoon, dog boy! How are you feeling today?" she said while petting Akamaru.

"Afternoon, forehead! Told ya I had only scratches! I just can't wait to get out of here – no offense, you know." She shook her head.

"None taken. Here, I brought these irises for you. I had a feeling you would like the color…" she said mischievously. She was good friends with Kiba, so naturally she knew a few secrets about him. Like lavender; every time he saw anything that color, he would remember a certain heiress's eyes.

"Looks like I have nothing to hide from your jade eyes, Haruno-sensei!" both of them laughed. "How's our little quest going?" she knew he meant her 'I-will-get-over-Sasuke' plan.

"Well… It won't happen suddenly, but I made a decision that will surely help me. From now on, my relationship with Sasuke-ku ahem Sasuke will be strictly professional. I'm not even seeing him today, only because it's my day off. It'll take some time for me to get used to it, but I guess I have no choice."

"That's my girl! I think you're on the right path. But you can't pretend you control your feelings, you really have to get over him." She looked at him, then at the flowers, and then back to him again.

"I know it, Kiba. I have too much love in my heart; I need to give it to someone. I told you that the other day."

"I remember that. Too much love will kill you if you're not able to establish a healthy relationship."

"If only it was that easy! But until I find somebody to love, I guess I'll share it among my friends. Perhaps it works for a while" she grinned at him.

"As long as you give me some of it!" they laughed again.

_From__ the earth below to the heavens above  
That how far and funny is love  
At__ any time, anywhere  
If__ you gotta make love do it everywhere_

"What's so funny?" they heard a soft voice from the door.

"Hinata-chan, you stealthy girl! Dog boy here was being funny, as always." Sakura knew Kiba was more than happy to see the white-eyed girl there. The pinkette winked at him and turned her attention to Hinata.

"Let's have dinner together tonight? Just the two of us." Hinata nodded happily. "Ok, I'm going then, I think I need a haircut! Kiba, if I hear you tried to get out of this bed, you're SO dead! Bye!"

Her low heels made a faint but audible noise as she walked down the hallway. Getting a haircut wasn't a lame excuse to let her friends alone. Her hair although short was messy, and her nails were begging to be manicured.

Room 8

"Sasuke-teme! I thought I would have to slap you awake" Naruto ignored Sakura's remind. He would never be quiet.

"Hn."

"Sakura-chan told me you'd probably be asleep." The blonde was now opening the small fridge beside the bed, looking for the candies sent by Sasuke's fan girls. Yeah, there were still some of them around, though Hyuuga Neji's fan club was now the biggest in Konoha.

'Hn, soon she will be here, annoying me with questions and hugs and tears.' Sasuke thought.

"Almond truffles! Can I get these? Sakura-chan loves almond truffles, and since she's not coming today I'll give them to her later." But he didn't wait for an answer, tossing the truffles inside his backpack.

"Take them; you know I don't like sweets. Wait, did you just say Sakura's not coming?" Well, that was something new.

"Yeah, she said she was going to visit Kiba. Hey, white toblerone! Your fans really love you, teme. I'm getting these too."

But Sasuke wasn't listening anymore. 'She's not coming? And I thought she couldn't be more pathetic… I bet she's playing hard. But these little girly schemes do not work on me.' His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of steps heading the opposite direction from his room. Sakura's steps. 'Hn, let's see how long she can keep on this'

A few hours later

_That's__ what love is, that's what love is  
Funny__ how love is everywhere just look and see  
Funny__ how love is anywhere you're bound to be  
Funny__ how love is every song and every key_

'Now I feel like a girl again!' Her hair was well cut, silky and smelling like strawberries. Her nails were French manicured – because of her work her nails couldn't be darker than light pink. Taking care of her beauty was a gesture of self-love. Sakura neglected herself since her first chuunin exam, believing that kunoichi shouldn't loog pretty; they should look strong. But the kunoichi from Sound who told her that was oh so wrong in the end. Being feminine was not a sin, and she learned it from Ino.

The sun had just set; the first stars were shining in the sky. Sakura was heading home; she should get ready for her dinner with Hinata. Said girl and Kiba were helping her a lot about her Sasuke issue, so she thought she could return the favor.

_Funny__ how love is when you gotta hurry home  
'C__os you're late for tea  
Funny__, funny, funny how love is  
Tomorrow__ comes, tomorrow brings_

The girls had already eaten their dinner and were now sitting on a bench, eating the truffles Naruto brought earlier.

"So, Hinata-chan, what do you think about Kiba?" she asked directly. The Hyuuga girl's face became beet red.

"Wh-what do-do y-you m-m-mean, S-sakura-ch-chan?"

'**Shannaro! I knew it! ****It's been years since the last time she stuttered like that'** Sakura and Inner Sakura high fived.

"You know exactly what I mean. C'mon, you make such a lovely couple!" 'I wish I could make a lovely couple too' she lowered her head, then remembered that the conversation wasn't about her.

"D-do you re-really think so, Sakura-chan?" white eyes looked at jade ones with hope.

"No, I KNOW so. When are you two getting together? Don't let him slip away, girl!" she winked.

"A-actually" Hinata got impossibly red "we al-al-already… you kn-know…"

Sakura's jaw dropped. "No way! I'm so happy to hear that! When did it happen?"

"A-ano… This afternoon, after you left." The dark haired girl smiled. "I told him I freaked when I heard he was severely injured. I was telling him to never scare me again, and when I noticed he held me in his arms and… well… kissed me. Now we are officially together"

Sakura squealed. "SO CUTE! And because I'm happy for you I'm not killing him for getting up from his bed. Just this once!" her friend was glowing. That was the kind of feeling love should bring, not the tears or the sorrow caused by Sasuke. "Girl, I don't know why I'm holding you here! I'm sure you can't wait to see him again, right?" Hinata nodded. "Go meet him then! I need to sleep early today, my shift starts at 5 AM." Damn Tsunade and her crazy schedules.

"Bye, Sakura-chan! Thanks for everything!" They waved at each other and parted.

_Tomorrow__ brings love in the shape of things  
At__ any time, anywhere  
If__ you gotta make love do it everywhere  
That's__ what love is, that's what love is_

"I'm happy for them! It was about damn time…" she muttered to herself. "I just hope I can be happy like that before my sixties".

* * *

A/N: Hike Masahiro is an OC and he only appears in this chapter. I promise! And yes I like KibaHina more than NaruHina, don't kill me for that [hides under the bed. 


	3. I'm Going Slightly Mad

**Chapter 3. I'm going slightly mad**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

4:15 in the morning. Sakura woke up easily, but cursing her God-forsaken schedule anyway. She turned the alarm off and got up from her warm cozy bed. Her shift would start in 45 minutes, and if she was lucky she would be out of the hospital by sunset. 'Heh, as if it would really happen' she thought while stretching. After a quick awakening bath and a very good breakfast, the medic-nin changed to her white medical outfit. She locked the door and left for the hospital, humming a cheerful song while walking.

"Good morning, guys!" she definitely was a morning person. Normally the patients would start to arrive not before 9 AM, but it's Sakura's shift we're talking about.

"Good morning, Sakura-san!" one of the nurses handed her a clipboard. "Here's your first patient today, Good luck, he doesn't seem very friendly this morning."

Sakura thanked the nurse and read the medical file on the clipboard. She chuckled to herself. That person was early that day. 'Room 9, huh? Ok let's go. If HE is the first one today, guess this day is going to be veeeery long…' She walked through the hallway as quiet as possible, trying to not wake the other patients up. Knocking lightly on the door, she opened it. Her patient had a huge pout on his face, which was really funny when the face in question belonged to a high-skilled ANBU captain.

_When the outside temperature rises  
And the meaning is oh so clear  
One thousand and one yellow daffodils  
Begin to dance in front of you - oh dear  
Are they trying to tell you something  
You're missing that one final screw  
You're simply not in the pink my dear  
To be honest you haven't got a clue_

"Well well well, if it's not my favorite patient ever!" she smiled mischievously, approaching the bed. Indeed he was her favorite patient. Sakura had to heal him at least 8 times per month because he would never allow any other doctor to. Besides, she really respected him for he would always do his best in order to perform his duties. The village needed him and the very least she could do was give him the best treatment.

"Hyuuga Neji, what have you done this time? Your both arms are almost destroyed. Let me take a look." Saying this she touched his left arm lightly; he growled under her touch.

"Mou, you're such a child sometimes." She scribbled some words on his medical file.

"Hn." She glared at him.

"Hyuuga, don't you hn me. I saved your ass countless times, the least you could do is not being so grumpy. But you know what? You're my first patient today and because of you Tsunade-shishou now owns me two days off in a row! Yes we made a bet about when you would be here again. Soooo… I'm gonna be nice to you. Just today, ok? Don't get used to it!" she giggled, starting to take his shirt off.

"Woman, you're the devil. Finish this quickly so I can go back to my training."

"You talk! You just made my day" she put his shirt above the bedside table. Her hands, already glowing with green chakra, were placed on his left arm first.

"Haruno…" he hissed.

"Hyuuga…" she hissed back. His left arm was done; now it was time for the other arm, which was worst than the first. "Really, you were not even on a mission and your arms are crappy. You should take care of yourself, or I'll start thinking you get hurt on purpose just to be with me" He gave her an assassin look. She rolled her eyes. "You know I'm kidding. Now, I'm done with your arms but not with you, tensai. Do not move your arms until I say so, I'll be right back with your breakfast." She left, he sighed in defeat. Sakura was back in less than five minutes.

"You left me shirtless, Haruno." He simply stated.

"I'm the devil, remember? You said it yourself. C'mon, I still owe you my two days off, so I'm feeding you today." She sat on his bed, getting a fork.

"What? No way, I can do it myself. You're so not feeding me."

"No you can't. If you don't want me to feed you, that's alright. Konoe-san would be more than happy to feed her dearest _shirtless_ Neji-kun" Sakura got up from his bed; she loved torturing the stoic Hyuuga prodigy.

His face was absolutely priceless. "Haruno, wait! You mean Konoe-san, that perverted old nurse? I rather die."

She giggled. "She's not perverted." No, she was way beyond that. "But I know that deep inside you love it when I feed you." Sakura sat by his side again, putting his shirt on.

"Spare me your antics, Haruno. Let's get this finished."

"You're so ungrateful. I even brought things you like. See? Papaya, blueberry muffins and apple juice. Anything for my favorite patient!" with that she started giving him little papaya pieces, cleaning his mouth every now and then with a napkin.

"Soon your fan club will send you the usual chocolates and candies. Our deal is still up, right?" she gave him some juice. Their deal was plain simple: Sakura would take all the things his fan girls sent him. In return, she should keep the girls very far from Neji.

"Of course. Do whatever you like with them, I don't care. You know I don't eat sweets." He bit a muffin she held for him.

"But my blueberry muffins are irresistible, ne? I keep them stored just for you." He shrugged. She was right, her muffins were something. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

"Ok, Hyuuga, now I'm done with you. Get some sleep, I'll check on you later this morning. Promise you won't jump off the window?"

"Hn. Whatever." She nodded, turning around to leave him.

"Haruno…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Wow, it wasn't everyday she heard the almighty Hyuuga Neji saying those two words.

"Anytime. Now get some rest, you need it." She quietly closed the door and checked her watch. 'Wow, almost an hour with Hyuuga? What a waste of my precious time. I should see the other patients.' The room next to Neji's was Sasuke's. Sakura sighed deeply. 'Well, now I'll see if this professional relationship thing will work. Calm down, he's just another patient. You can do it.'

_I'm going slightly mad  
I'm going slightly mad  
It finally happened - happened  
It finally happened - ooh oh  
It finally happened - I'm slightly mad_

"Good morning, Sasuke. How do you feel today?" she asked impersonally, since he was already awake. Sakura noticed that it hadn't been hard at all calling him just Sasuke, not Sasule-kun. 'Yay, I think I'm making some progress here' she thought to herself.

"Hn." She decided to ignore his 'response'. The medic-nin read his medical file, nodding at some points.

"Ok, your major injuries are almost fully healed. I think you will be here for no more than three days. Do you feel any pain? Head, chest, leg, anything?" she asked without looking at him. She was scribbling on his file.

"Sakura…"

"Hn?" he frowned at her answer. Inner Sakura punched the air. **'Hahaha! Take that, bastard!'** Sakura agreed.

"Why weren't you here yesterday?" she was a little startled by his question, but hid it well.

"It was my day off. I do rest sometimes, you know. After I used all my chakra on you, Tsunade-shishou sent me home"

'SHE saved me? It couldn't have been her. Naruto said I was pretty bad; Sakura is just incapable of doing such things' he thought to himself. He hadn't seen her in action after he came back. "Liar. I heard your voice."

Sakura raised a thin pink eyebrow. "You were awake then. But it was really my day off; I was here to visit Kiba and Tenten as a friend, not as a doctor. Wait a minute, are you saying that you missed me?" Touché.

"Of course not. I was just curious, that's all. And when is my breakfast coming?"

"Hungry already? Konoe-san should be here in ten minutes with your meal."

He paled. 'The perverted old nurse?' Yes, he heard Sakura and Neji talking. "You get breakfast to the Hyuuga bastard and I have to be fed by an old hag?" he instantly regretted his words, as she was evilly smirking.

"Uchiha Sasuke, are you jealous of Hyuuga?" he glared. "Fine, you're not. Stop complaining, the least thing I need is a whining patient. If you have nothing more to say, I'm leaving."

She turned around but he called her back. "Sakura"

"What?"

"Does Hyuuga know you're using him?" her eyes widened considerably.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Does Hyuuga know you're using him trying to make me jealous?" now her jade eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get that…" then realization hit her. "Oh, you heard us talking. Don't be ridiculous, he _is_ my favorite patient and I really won two days off because of him. And they way I treat my patients is none of your business anyway. Seriously, Sasuke, you have the hugest ego ever. Why would I…" she was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Sakura! Sakura! Quick, we have an emergency!" someone shouted outside the door. Without a second thought she left, not even bothering to say goodbye to her former teammate.

'Wait a second; she didn't call me Sasuke-kun? Were my prayers finally heard?' but his face was far from showing relief. On the other side of the wall, a Byakugan user was smirking.

_Oh dear  
I'm one card short of a full deck  
I'm not quite the shilling  
One wave short of a shipwreck  
I'm not my usual top billing  
I'm coming down with a fever  
I'm really out to sea  
This kettle is boiling over  
I think I'm a banana tree_

It was 3 PM when Sakura healed the last patient. Some civilians got severely injured while building a shopping mall. She sighed deeply, tired and almost out of chakra. And her shift was far from its end…

"We're done here. I'll check my other patients now." She washed her hands and went to Tenten's room. Two green people were beside her friend.

"Lee! Gai-sensei! It's always good to see you." The pinkette smiled and waved at them.

"Good afternoon, youthful doctor! I see you're taking good care of our girl" Gai gave her his nice guy smile.

"I'm doing my best here. Guys, could you excuse me now? I have some tests to do with Tenten"

"Surely! It's time for our 50-mile run!" Lee's eyes glowed.

"Yosh! My youthful student, if we can't run 50 miles we will do two thousand push-ups!"

"Yosh! Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Both Sakura and Tenten sweatdropped. The green beasts left the room and the medic-nin gave her friend a sympathetic look.

"Really, Tenten, you're my idol. How could you keep your sanity while spending all those years with those two?" The girls laughed.

"I don't even know myself. But I need to know when I'm getting out of here, I need some exercise!" Sakura smiled at her, while performing some tests.

"If tomorrow morning you stand up and your legs feel fine, then you're free to go. I'm sure you'll be as good as new by then!"

"Thanks!" they nodded at each other. They chatted a little before Sakura went outside to see Kiba. She grabbed the doorknob…

"Sakura! Hurry, ANBU Squad 3 just returned from their mission, they're in a pretty bad shape." The nurse ran back to the emergency room, followed by the pinkette. 'Oh my, another emergency?'

_Oh dear  
I'm going slightly mad  
I'm going slightly mad  
It finally happened - happened  
It finally happened - uh huh  
It finally happened - I'm slightly man - oh dear  
I'm knitting with only one needle  
Unraveling fast its true  
I'm driving only three wheels these days  
But my dear how about you_

Three hours later, the ANBU were out of danger. Sakura looked like she hadn't slept in five days. 'Two days off in a row… two days off in a row…' that was all she could think to keep her brain working. And she still had patients to see! She stopped by Kiba's door and heard Hinata's voice. 'I guess they don't need me now' she took a step back, not wanting to bother the lovebirds. A few meters ahead, Sasuke's door was slightly open; she saw Naruto and Kakashi in there. She took a deep breath and entered the room.

"Tough day, Sakura?" Kakashi asked her, looking away from his book and noticing her tired face.

"Yeah, sort of. Well, Sasuke, how do you feel?"

"I don't like that old nurse" he said dryly.

"Why? Konoe-san is so caring and tender…" **'And perverted'** Inner Sakura yelled. "You can hire a babysitter for you if you please. It's not against the hospital rules" Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi laughed; Sasuke frowned.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, it would be good for us to be Team 7 again, don't you think?" Naruto grinned.

"Hn." Was her answer. Naruto's eyes widened, Sasuke's narrowed and Kakashi seemed too focused on his Icha Icha Paradise to notice anything. "Anyway, Sasuke, you should-"

"Sakura! Rush to room 15 immediately!" some nurse with a very worried face told her.

"I can't! I'm exhausted. Go find someone else, please…"

"But… it's Ino!"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "What? Ino? Why didn't you say it before?" and in the next second she was opening violently room 15's door.

_I'm going slightly mad  
I'm going slightly mad  
It finally happened  
It finally happened - oh yes  
It finally happened  
I'm slightly mad  
Just very slightly mad  
And there you have it_

"Ino! What happened?" Sakura jumped over her best friend. The blonde wasn't covered in blood, which was a very good sign.

"Easy, forehead! I just twisted my ankle. Why are you so worried?"

"I've seen so much blood today; I was scared that you would be torn in two or something… I'm so glad you're ok!" the medic-nin said while healing Ino with her last amount of chakra. "Hey, Ino-pig, tomorrow I have a day off. We should have a girl's day, just the two of us! What do you think?"

"It's just what I need! It's been a while since we don't spend some quality time together. Meet me at the flower shop!"

"You got yourself a deal! Now, move your foot. Does it hurt? No? That's good. You're free to go then. See ya tomorrow!" the girls hugged.

"Thanks, forehead. I owe you that! Bye!" the blonde left the room. Sakura looked at the now empty bed, it was so tempting… 'Only five minutes. I deserve that' she kicked her shoes off and laid down, quickly drifting into a very deep slumber.

Her eyes shot open. 'I overslept! Crap' Sakura got up, put her shoes on and left the room. The hospital was quiet, which meant it should be really late! She rubbed her eyes, trying to put her thoughts in order. Suddenly she remembered something. 'Hyuuga! He must be really pissed now' she went to his room. When the door opened, she saw him looking at the window; his arms were crossed in front of his chest. The room was crowded with chocolates, candies, even teddy bears.

"You know, I really love your fan girls!" she tried to be cheerful, but she knew his mood was far from happy.

"It's almost ten o'clock. You left me here all alone. That Konoe old perverted was really happy with that." He said bitterly, not looking at her. "You know how I hate being here. So please tell me I can go home."

"Ok, Your Majesty. Let me see your arms first." She approached him, rolling his right sleeve up. She squeezes here and there. "Does it hurt?" She took his lack of answer as a 'no' and moved to his left side. As she rolled his sleeve up, he finally looked at her face. She had dark circles under her now somewhat grayish green eyes. Her hair was messy and she smelled like sweat and blood.

"Geez, Haruno… Your face…"

"My face what?" she gave him a faint smile. 'Now, please, say something nice and make my day!' she thought to herself.

"You look like crap."

All of a sudden everything was red. She wasn't feeling her body until her right hand connected with his face in a loud and painful slap. Neji widened his eyes, shocked, although he knew he deserved it. As if nothing had happened, Sakura moved to the door, not taking any of the candies.

"You can go home." She said, without looking at him. The kunoichi left, trying her best to restrain her tears. And she failed miserably.


	4. Don't Try So Hard

A/N: Guys, thank you SO much for your reviews! I really appreciate the constructive criticism; in fact, your opinions are helping me a lot in writing this (I'm not done yet).

**Warning: **This chapter contains** spoilers **for** The Phantom of the Opera **(which I also do not own).

On with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 4. ****Don't try so hard**

"Damn it!" what a nice way to wake up.

It was 7:14 AM. And it was her DAY OFF! 'I want to sleep a little more' Sakura thought, covering her face with her pillow. Although she was a morning person, she wanted and needed some rest. She rolled to her right side, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. 'Think of a peaceful park, full of chirping birds… and falling leaves… and fluffy clouds… and… mmphng…' her thoughts finally faded as she started to sleep again…

BAM BAM BAM

Instinctively Sakura grabbed three shuriken out of nowhere and threw them in her wardrobe. Then she woke up; who would be knocking that hard at her door so early? She looked at her alarm clock; it was 7:21 AM. Getting up and rubbing her eyes, she moved to her front door with a kunai in her right hand.

"Who's there?" the medic-nin asked firmly.

"Sakura-san, you're late for your shift." Some random nurse told her.

"What? You're mistaken. It's my deserved day off!" she said politely, but Inner Sakura was yelling things that I don't dare to write.

"Is that so?" the nurse hesitated for a while. "Then I'm so sorry, Sakura-san! Have a nice day."

"It's ok, I was awake already. Have a nice day you too"

'**Have a nice day? She wakes us up and lives? Oh no, this is so terribly wrong, Sakura!'**

'If I had hurt the nurse I would have had to heal her. And it would just spoil our day even more'

'**Ok, you got a point there.'**

Sakura shrugged. She should be at least glad, for that was her day off and she would spend it doing girly things with Ino. But she was feeling a little odd; something was not right. Immediately she thought about Sasuke; usually he was the source of her sadness. 'This is strange. I think of him and… nothing. I feel kind of guilty for treating him so coldly – actually I have to get used to it, now that I decided to forget him for good – but it's not it. Speaking of guilt…" She remembered the last thing that happened the night before. The pinkette had had a very hard stressful shift and obviously was tired and looking like a homeless girl. All she wanted was to hear one nice thing, and what she got?

'You look like crap'

Neji's voice still echoed on her mind. Indeed she was not looking any good, but that was the kind of comment that no one should EVER say to any girl. Specially a very tired, exhausted and short-tempered Sakura. She slapped him on impulse and now regretted it. But he asked for that! 'He's so selfish sometimes. But what is done is done. I'll deal with it later' she decided, entering her bathroom to get a glorious Jacuzzi bath.

"I love you, Haruno Sakura, for having this wonderful luxurious Jacuzzi in your house!" Indeed it had been one of her greatest ideas ever. A bubbling bath was pure bliss and would be the perfect way to get a new start that day.

_If you're searching out for something -  
Don't try so hard  
If you're feeling kinda nothing -  
Don't try so hard  
When your problems seem like mountains  
You feel the need to find some answers  
You can leave them for another day  
Don't try so hard_

"Half of my problems are now gone!" she got out of the bathtub 45 minutes later, feeling renewed. Sakura wrapped her towel around her body and went to her room. 'How did these shuriken get stuck in my wardrobe doors?' she collected her small weapons and put them back on their case. Since she wouldn't practice or work that day, the kunoichi wore a pair of black pants, a white and very comfy cashmere sweater (it was late autumn) and matching French beret and low heel ankle boots. She looked at the mirror and decided she was good-looking enough. Sakura then grabbed an apple in the kitchen. Normally she would have a better breakfast, but she wanted to have it downtown with Ino. She was dying to eat some raspberry waffles and she knew where to get perfect ones. 'Now, time to pick up Ino!'

After a short walk, our protagonist entered the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Forehead! I thought you would sleep all day. Though I'm glad you're here this early" the blonde kunoichi smiled to her friend.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving! Let's go to that café, they have the perfect raspberry waffles waiting for us."

"Why are we still here?" Ino turned her face to the back of the shop. "Mom, I'm going out with Sakura and won't be back before dinner, ok?" Without waiting for an answer, the two friends hit the road.

After stuffing themselves with tons of waffles, they agreed it was finally shopping time! With glowing eyes and wide smiles, Sakura and Ino went to one of Konoha's largest shopping malls. The first shop, one of the fanciest clothing stores they knew, had all their stock 50 off. The girls looked at each other and squealed in unison.

"Forehead, can you believe just how lucky we are? Half price equals double fun!" The blonde was truly excited.

They spent only five minutes to get a huge amount of clothes - they were good at this! Then rushed to try them.

"Ew, forehead, you look like crap with this top" Sakura's eyes widened.

'You look like crap.' It sounded so silly now, but for some reason it still made her uneasy. She definitely had to talk to Neji sometime and sort things out.

"Hello? Earth calling Sakura" Ino snapped her fingers in front of her friend.

"What? Oh Ino, what's wrong?"

"You spaced out… C'mon, I didn't mean to offend you when I said that this top is not good for you! You take everything so seriously… Try this one then, I'm sure you'll look gorgeous!" she handed a forest green tank top.

"Thanks Ino. You didn't offend me, it's just something that happened last night" the blonde's eyes grew in curiosity.

"Which was…" Sakura sighed and nodded.

"Well, you know I had a pretty tough shift yesterday. It started at 5 AM; I got into the hospital…"

_But if you fall and take a tumble -  
It won't be far  
If you fail you mustn't grumble -  
Thank your lucky stars  
Just savour every mouthful  
And treasure every moment  
When the storms are raging round you  
Stay right where you are_

"You must have been really tired, huh? Otherwise the human ice cube wouldn't have this head on its place. But seriously, did you expect him to actually compliment you?" Ino stated.

"Um… er… I see your point. Geez, it looks so stupid now that I told you! And the worst thing is I didn't take my chocolates!"

"This" said Ino pointing her index to Sakura "is just unforgivable! His fan girls know how to find the best sweets in whole Konoha. You better apologize to him; you must have hurt his feelings!" her eyes were like anime-style stars as she thought about the surrealistic truffles waiting for her.

"Who are you trying to fool, Ino-pig? I know you couldn't care less about Neji. You just want his chocolates…" both girls laughed a lot and went on with the shopping spree.

Four and a half hours later, they were getting out from that first shop. If it wasn't for Sakura's inhuman strength, they would have never been able to carry the ridiculously huge amount of bags. Sakura had the brilliant idea of dropping everything at the flower shop, so they would have their hands free.

"Ok, what's for lunch today?" Sakura asked, given that she was out of ideas.

"Dunno… Maybe okonomiyaki?" Ino asked tentatively. (A/N: Okonomiyaki is a dish typical from Kansai – Osaka and Kyoto region –; it's a kind of pizza/omelette and REALLY delicious!) "Wait, we ate it last time. What about gyuudon?" (A/N: Gyuudon is basically Japanese rice covered with slices of cooked meat, another delicious treat!)

"Great idea, Ino-pig! Gyuudon it is!"

They went to a nearby restaurant and ordered two family size portions of gyuudon. While waiting for their meal, the girls naturally started to talk.

"So, Sakura, you told me you changed your relationship with Sasuke. Did you finally get over him?"

It was a delicate subject. But Ino was her best friend and she had already got over the Uchiha boy. Sakura decided to open her heart to the blonde kunoichi in front of her.

"Ano… I'm not sure. I mean, a few nights ago I asked if he wanted to have dinner with me. Of course he said no, I wasn't expecting a different answer anyway. But the way he ditched me… He has always been rude to me, I should have got used to it. Would it hurt just to say 'no thanks'? Anyway, he told me the usual things, but this time it felt different. I can't explain why, I just know that it hurt me more than anything he has ever done to me; it was almost like when he left the village. Luckily I found Hinata and Kiba; they told me what I already knew, that I should move on and forget Sasuke. This time, although, they convinced me. But moving on is not a thing that happens just like that. Ino, I'm trying so hard to get him out of my mind! That's why I decided to treat him impersonally. He'll be my teammate when we're on a mission together; my patient when he's injured; and nobody in all other occasions."

_Don't try so hard  
Oooh don't take it all to heart  
It's only fools they make these rules  
Don't try so hard_

Ino nodded. "Sakura, I respect and admire your efforts, but if you keep focused on forgetting him, he will be inside your head anyway. You should just let go."

"I see your point… But I truly think I'm letting him go. Yesterday I went into his room twice. I won't tell you I felt nothing, but treating him like any other patient was easier than I thought. Do you believe he even asked me if I was using Neji only to make him jealous?"

"Were you?" Ino asked but already knew the answer. Sakura was way too decent to even think of such a plan.

"Of course not and you know it! Sasuke overheard our conversation. You know how I always pamper Neji – those chocolates are worthy enough. I keep saying he's my favorite patient, and it's not a secret that Sasuke wants everybody's attention on him." Sakura was interrupted by the waiter bringing their meal. The girls thanked him and resumed their conversation.

"Ino, do you think Sasuke got jealous? I mean, he assumed I was trying to make him jealous and even complained that I wasn't there to see him on my day off."

The blonde swallowed. "He did it? Well, I think he assumed you would be 'his' forever. Don't you give me that look, forehead, who knows what's inside that twisted mind of his? And Neji has always been one of his greatest rivals. I'm not saying that Sasuke likes you or anything, but it seems that for some male pride reason he doesn't want his main fan girl to be around any other man, specially that particular Hyuuga."

"Ino-pig, you're a genius! That makes sense! I think your relationship with Shikamaru is doing wonders to you." The pinkette took another bit from her meal. "This is really good, ne?"

"Hm-hm" Ino was chewing. "Talking about Shika-kun… I think that's the perfect solution for your problem!" Sakura looked confused.

"I know you're trying to help, but what does your lazy boyfriend has to do with me?" Ino sighed.

"Think a little, forehead. Like you, I had a crush on Sasuke. When I decided to get over him, I thought I could do it alone. Well, the first step is your responsibility, the decision has to be true or it won't work. I did as I told you, I let go. Letting him go was like cleaning the lenses of your glasses. The dirt would be my crush for him, which prevented me from seeing the world as it is. As I cleaned my sight, I realized that love had always been by my side, begging for my attention. I can't believe I lost all those years! But it wasn't too late, and here I am with a very happy love life! See what I mean?" the blonde smiled widely at the mere thought of her Shika-kun.

"Yeah, and I agree with you. My problem in letting go of him is just that I need somebody to love. It's a paradox: my weakness is what makes me stronger! I'm trying to share my love among my patients and my friends, but it's not the same and won't work forever. I guess I'm just buying some time, you know?"

"If you need so much to love someone in particular, then the solution is finding someone!"

"Ino, it's not that simple…" Sakura sighed.

"It is. Hey, let's play matchmaker a little!"

"Ino!" the medic-nin frowned at her. "My love life is not a game."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But at least it'll make you think. Shall we begin?" she smiled mischievously.

"As if I had a choice…"

"Don't be so pessimistic! Here we go… What about you and… Naruto?"

"Why do you even ask? You know he's my brother. Besides, he got over me like a million years ago."

"Ok, just to be sure! Now you and… Sai?"

"He calls me Ugly! And dresses like a girl."

"That's true. Who else… Shino? Wait, forget that…"

"Don't be mean! Shino is a nice guy. But those bugs are just too creepy. It would never work." The waiter took the bowls out of the table and the girls asked for iced green tea.

"And Chouji? He's an excellent cook, I must tell you."

"And he loves food above everything. I want to be loved above everything!"

"I guess you're right. Lee?"

"I'm not even answering that." Sakura and Lee were friends, but his green spandex and his springtime of youth speech were just too much. The teas were given to them.

"Kiba?"

"Well, I must confess. Dog boy is hot and we get along very well… But he's taken!"

"What? How I don't know that?" It was hard for Ino, the gossip queen, to see that she wasn't the first one to know something.

"Because it's fresh and he's still in the hospital! In fact the hospital kind of helped them. Oh yes, in case you're wondering, he's with Hinata." Sakura sipped her tea.

"I KNEW IT! I knew she had a thing for him. I so love being right!" the girls laughed.

"Ok Sakura, even Hinata has a boyfriend. We should and will get you one in no time, you'll see. I have a few more options of men we know. Hm… Kakashi?"

Sakura looked scandalized. "Hello? He's like my father! And I don't like older men. So anyone older than Iruka-sensei is out of question, ok?"

"Ok, ok. So you don't like older men? What about Konohamaru?" Ino did that on purpose.

"Ino" Sakura hissed "I'm NOT a pedophile. I know you're joking but it wasn't funny at all!"

"Oh it was so funny, your face was priceless! Hm, there's only one left in my list…"

_One day you'll be a sergeant major  
Oh you'll be so proud  
Screaming out your bloody orders  
Hey but not too loud  
Polish all your shiny buttons  
Dressed as lamb instead of mutton  
But you never had to try  
To stand out from the crowd_

As soon as Sakura said he could go home, Neji left his hospital room. His cheek was still burning, but he knew he kind of deserved it. It wasn't his fault that the medic-nin couldn't stand the truth. Women… 'Nara is right when he says they're troublesome.' He really didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but at least he could go away. He had barely left his room, holding his red cheek, when he heard a voice coming from the room next to his.

"Hn. Can't stand a slap from a girl, Hyuuga? You're so soft that even Sakura is able to hit you."

His Byakugan was instinctively activated. Neji entered room 8 with a murderous aura.

"Come again?"

"You heard me. What did the favorite patient do to deserve it?" Sasuke said in a bitter tone.

"You're jealous." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Of Sakura? Don't be stupid." But Neji saw the truth with his Byakugan eyes. "Why did she slap you? Did you say anything bad about me?" Really, his ego is immeasurable.

Neji ignored his last comment. "Sweet dreams, Uchiha" he pressed a specific tenketsu and sent the raven-haired boy to Morpheus land.

Down the hallway he saw Hinata, who blushed deeply as soon as she saw her cousin. She had just got out of Kiba's room and she knew he would make her a lot of questions.

"Neji-niisan! Are you feeling better?" she smiled, but then noticed his red cheek. "What happened? It looks like a hand."

"So it is. Let's go home, I tell you what happened while we walk. These walls have ears, you know. By the way, what were you doing so late on Inuzuka's room?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Etto… I… he… we…" she fiddled her fingers.

"I got it. He'd better not do anything to you" he said over protectively. His relationship with his family improved a lot during the past years. Soon they were on their way home. Neji told Hinata exactly what happened during the day. She thought for a while, and then turned to him again.

"And you don't understand why she got that mad? Let me tell you then. You know how Sakura-chan takes her job seriously. And you must agree that being a medic-nin is anything but easy! She works really hard everyday. It's fair that she wants to be acknowledged sometimes. After an especially hard shift, her favorite patient only complains about her not being around all the time and even tells she looks bad. Put yourself on her shoes. You came back barely alive after an S-class mission, so you're naturally tired. While waiting for the Hokage, you sit on a couch and fall asleep. Then the Hokage arrives, sees you sleeping and calls you lazy. Would it be good?"

"I see what you mean. But I didn't mean to hurt her feelings." 'Since when do I care?' he asked himself.

"You should apologize to her. Like you mean it!"

"Hn." 'I'll look weak'

"You won't look weak" Neji looked at her. 'Since when does Hinata read minds?' She smiled softly. "I know you too well, Neji-niisan. Believe me, you'll make her happy and she needs it. After all, she decided to get over Sasuke."

"That explains a lot about what that Uchiha said earlier. Nothing important, anyway. And how do I… apologize… to her?"

"I thought you would never ask! See, tomorrow…"

Hinata explained her idea. Neji nodded sometimes, and other times shook his head in disagreement. Finally, he gave in. "Ok then, I'll take the main idea, but I'll do it my way."

Now he was roaming the streets of Konoha, trying to find his pink-haired doctor. 'My doctor? I mean the doctor that takes care of me. Yeah, that's it'. Hinata said Sakura would be with Ino, which helped a lot since the blonde had a real loud mouth. He thought about using his Byakugan, but didn't want to freak the civilians. It would have to bee the good old way – actually looking for her.

It was lunch time, so the chances that the girls would be in a restaurant were great. Indeed, after 20 minutes he spotted the two friends chatting and laughing, while drinking something he assumed it was tea. He put his hands on his pockets, feeling something strange on his stomach. Neji didn't know what it was, but any normal person would call it anxiety. He quietly entered the restaurant, slowly approaching Sakura, who had her back turned to him. As he got closer, he could hear their conversation.

"Hm, there's only one left in my list…" The blonde kunoichi said. "What about… Neji? You already spend much time with him."

'Yeah, what about me?' he thought. What were they talking about?

"He's a bit selfish sometimes." Sakura stated. 'Hn. Is that so?' he thought while listening quietly. "And stubborn" 'I'm not stubborn. I just happen to be right every time, why don't people see it?' "And…" she lowered her voice "too handsome. It just wouldn't work out." 'What?'

"What?" He thought in unison with Ino's squeal. "He's not that handsome" 'DIE, Yamanaka'

"Ino-pig, honestly, I've seen almost the entire male population of Konoha both dressed and undressed." 'PERV!' "And he just happens to be the hottest guy around and I know you agree with me. Don't worry, I won't tell Shikamaru." 'Does she really think so?'

"Whatever, forehead. But I don't see how it's a turn off." 'Yeah, I'd like to know it. No, no, I don't, I don't even care!' but he stayed there anyway.

"The problem is his fan girls, although I always get free chocolate because of them. How would you feel if two thirds of the Konoha female population AND one tenth of its male population were trying to hook up Shikamaru?" 'There are MEN after me? Ew'

Ino rolled her eyes in defeat. By doing so, she saw a pair of white eyes staring at her and Sakura. Her face paled visibly and her eyes widened.

"What's wrong, Ino?" 'No, it can't be' Sakura thought. "He's right behind me, isn't he?" The blonde only nodded. Sakura's face went through five shades of red.

'**What you're gonna do now? You know you can't fool him'**

'I was wondering where you could be…' But her inner self did have a point. She couldn't possibly fool the Hyuuga genius. "Hyuuga, you know eavesdropping is impolite" she finally managed to say, but didn't turn to him. He gave Ino a 'get out' look. Said girl got up from her seat.

"Ha ha ha, I almost forgot! I have to meet Shika-kun now; we will… gaze at the clouds. Heh, what one doesn't do for love… See ya, forehead! Bye, Neji!"

Sakura glared at her and mouthed 'traitor'. Neji took the seat Ino just left.

"Did you mean what you just said?" he asked plainly.

"You know, there's a Chinese proverb which says that there are three things that never come back: the spent time, the lost opportunity and the spoken word." She said, trying subtly to change subject.

"I'll take it as a yes. But it's disgusting, you know?" she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. "Having men… ahem… interested… in me. I'm definitely not that kind of guy."

"Uh… ok?" well, at least the problem wasn't her. "By the way, Hyuuga, why are you here?"

"Interesting. When you're talking about me, I'm Neji. When you're talking to me, I'm Hyuuga." 'That was just pointless' he scolded himself.

"Don't change subject. Anyway, it's actually good you're here. I need to talk to you about yesterday."

"So do I." since she said it first, it was easier for him.

"Look, I'm sorry for-" but she was interrupted because he grabbed both her hands on impulse.

"No, you listen first." Then he realized he was holding her hands; he dropped them right away. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I really hate being in the hospital, and you know that old perverted nurse freaks the hell out of me – tell this to anyone and you're as good as dead. I was upset because… I… msdu" he muttered.

"You what? I couldn't hear you."

"I msdu"

"What?"

"I MISSED YOU goddammit" Sakura covered her mouth with her hands, shocked. "Don't get me wrong, Haruno, you know you're the only person I can stand in that God-forsaken hospital. I know you give your life everyday in that place to help the others. I also know you're very skilled and maybe I like being our best medic-nin's favorite patient. Sometimes I take you for granted, and I'm swy."

"You what?" this time she was just teasing him.

"Don't you mock me, Haruno. I know you heard me and I won't say it again."

"Ok, Hyuuga, I'd like to apologize too. I overreacted yesterday and I am so sorry for that." And she really meant it, he could see it. He just nodded.

"Are we ok then? Good… And, just for curiosity… Did you…"

"Of course I did. You can get your sweets after we get out of the movies."

"Thank you, Hyu- What? Movies?" she gave him a puzzled look. He wasn't doing that right.

"We're going to the movies today." She noticed it wasn't an invitation. He already decided it for her. "It's not a date or anything like that. I'm just trying to make it up to you." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked through the window.

"I see. Didn't Hinata tell you to bring me flowers?" he looked surprised. 'How did she know?' he thought then shrugged.

"She did." And he thought he didn't have to explain her why he had brought none. "Speaking of my cousin, why is she with that Inuzuka?"

"So she told you" 'Not quite' he remarked to himself. "Well, they like each other very much. I think that's reason enough. Plus, Kiba will take good care of her, you can be sure of that" she nodded.

"He'd better, or else I neuter him" she knew he meant it.

"Ok, before you threaten anyone else, let's go to the movies. Shall we?" she asked the waiter to bring the bill. "Hey, did Ino-pig leave without paying? Oh I'm so killing her" Sakura paid for both meals. She and Neji got up from their seats. Only then she noticed he wasn't in his usual attire. He wore coffee brown cargo pants and a loose beige sweater. His hitai-ate was replaced by a white cloth. **'HOT!'** Sakura glared at her inner self but secretly agreed with her. Surprisingly Neji offered her his arm. She stared at him blankly.

"Don't look at me like that, Haruno. I'm old fashioned. Will you take it or not?" She quickly accepted his arm. 'Wow, that was unexpected. But it is kinda good walking like this with him'

'**Good? Do you know how many people would kill to be in your place? It's the hottest man in Konoha we're talking about!'**

'Shut up! He's not a trophy or something.'

'**Look! A fan girl over there just fainted!'**Her inner self was really enjoying their walk. **'And that one started to cry! This is better than TV'**

Sakura sighed inwardly. She started to think about how it would be to walk like that with Sasuke. Inner Sakura punched her.

'**I thought we agreed ****in kicking him out of our life for good. Are you blind or stupid or anything? Don't you see this fine male species right beside you?'**

'Don't be naïve. He wouldn't want anything with me.'

'**But you would, right?'**

'Shut up.'

'**Seriously,**** Ino-pig is right. You already spend much time with him. You love taking care of him – and don't you deny it, I know that for a fact! And you two also fight quite a bit. Put 2 and 2 together. It is a relationship without the benefits!'**

'I won't even ask which benefits you're talking about, you perverted!' but Inner Sakura did have a point. He was hotter than anyone she knew, Sasuke included. He was always around – not that he wanted to always end up at the hospital, but anyway he only let her take care of him. 'Why not?' she instantly regretted her thought.

'**Shannaro! I heard it! I'm always right! Inner Sakura scores!'** she started a very weird victory dance.

'On the other hand, he's the human ice cube. I know he doesn't hate me, but it doesn't mean much'

'**Hmmm that's true****'** She stopped her dance. **'But you kind of like it, don't you? Seeing your very rich love history…'**

'You really don't know when to shut up'

'**Wake up, idiot, he's calling you'**

'Huh?'

"Haruno Sakura, are you still here?" 'I knew it wasn't a good idea, this girl is just crazy' he sighed.

"Oops! Sorry about that, guess I spaced out." She scratched the back of her head.

"Whatever. Which movie do you want to see?"

"Can I pick any of them?" her eyes shone.

"Only if it's not too girly." 'Because I would have to kill myself if anyone saw me watching a girly movie with Haruno of all people'

"What about… this one?" she pointed to one of them. It was The Phantom of the Opera. "I think I've watched all the versions a hundred times each. But it never gets old! Can we watch this? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top? Pretty please with-"

"Ok, fine. Anything to keep your mouth shut." She pouted slightly, but then realized she won. She and Inner Sakura high fived, they both loved that movie.

_Oh what a beautiful world  
Is this the life for me  
Oh what a beautiful world  
It's the simple life for me_

"Wasn't it great, Hyuuga?" Sakura was literally floating. She knew – and sang along – all the songs, much to his annoyance. But she seemed to be happier than the night before, so this mission was accomplished. "Even though I would have made Christine end up with the Phantom, instead of that Raoul."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?" He offered his arm again; this time she accepted it immediately. They started to go to the Hyuuga compound; after all, she should get her chocolates!

"Because the Phantom loves her for her. Raoul only noticed Christine when she kicked ass in her first solo. When she was among the other girls, he didn't even glance at her. The Phantom turned her into what she is. Raoul bought her a ring. Besides, the Phantom is far more charming than his rival. That mask is something that attracts me, because it hides enough and shows enough. Although I think he shouldn't be ashamed of his face…"

'Hn. My hitai-ate hides enough and shows enough and… HEY why am I even thinking something like that?' he shook his head. He should have known better. Any movie she chose would be girly and mind-twisting. Yeah, it was her fault.

In no time they reached his home. Before entering the gates, he looked at her and then at his arm. "Would you mind?"

"Oh, not at all" she knew his family would think it meant something. That had meant anything to her, right?

… Right?

"Sakura-chan! Did Neji-niisan bring you here? I only suggested him to take you to the movies, not start anything and-"

"Hinata-chan, I'm here for my chocolates." She smiled hungrily.

"Oh, that's right! For a moment I thought…" the Hyuuga heiress blushed faintly.

"You see everything in pink because you're in love" Sakura winked at her friend. They heard Neji growling at her statement, and giggled.

"Here you are, Haruno" he handed her three large bags full of sinfully scrumptious chocolates and candies.

"Don't you ever mistreat your fan club! Well, gotta go now. Hyuuga, thanks again. Hinata-chan, tomorrow I'll visit Tenten and Kiba. Wanna go with me?"

"Sure, Sakura-chan! See you tomorrow then"

"I'll walk you home" Neji said. Hinata gave him a knowing look, which he decided to ignore. Sakura noticed he wasn't asking, and she knew that arguing would be useless.

They soon reached her front door. Sakura unlocked it and turned to Neji. "So, this is when you kiss me goodbye?"

If Sakura didn't know him better she could swear she saw him blush. "Are you out of your mind? I told you it wasn't a date"

She laughed. A lot. "Hyuuga, you should have seen your face! Relax; I know you're unable to have physical contact with another human being besides fighting. Sometimes I wonder if you have ever hugged or kissed someone…" Wrong thing to say.

"My personal life is none of your business." He said coldly.

"Cut it off, I know you're not upset and you couldn't care less about what I think of you" he seemed to agree with her. "Anyway, thanks for today, I had a great afternoon! I should slap you more times" Neji glared at her. "Mou, I was just kidding! Well, see ya!" He nodded at her and left. She closed the door and threw herself on her couch.

'Just let go…' She remembered what Ino said. Ino! 'I need to talk to her' she grabbed her phone and dialed her best friend's number.

"Hey, Ino-pig! Where are you? Oh, can I stop by? Yeah, I have a few things to talk to you…" which were: her clothes, the meal Ino didn't pay for and her afternoon with Neji.

_Oh don't try so hard  
Oh don't take it all to heart  
It's only fools - they make these rules  
Don't try so hard  
Don't try so hard_

Her second day off! This time no one woke her up, which only boosted her good morning mood. Around 10 AM Sakura and Hinata went to the hospital. They stopped at Tenten's room first. She would be discharged the next day. They talked for some time, and then went to Kiba's room. He was more than happy because he would be out of there by dusk. Sakura stayed a little there, she wanted to give the love birds some privacy so she left. She thought about visiting Sasuke, but decided that it would do no good to her. He would probably insult or ignore her, just like always. She was about to leave the hospital when she noticed a pair of white eyes looking intensely at her.

"What are you doing here, Hyuuga?" she asked softly. He didn't answer, but sheepishly (remember, it's Neji we're talking about, so it's Neji-style sheepish) pointed to his right knee, which was two times its normal size. "Oh no. No way. It's my day off!"

"I never thought I would say that, but… Please? It hurts like hell"

"Ok, I see! Where's the camera? C'mon guys, I know you're there!" It was obviously a joke. The stoic ANBU captain, the Hyuuga prodigy, the human ice cube, not only just said 'please' but also admitted being in pain! It couldn't be real.

"Haruno, I'm serious." She sighed and moved to his right side, hugging his waist in order to help him walk.

"Hyuuga Neji, you are impossible!"


	5. A Winter's Tale

A/N: Writing this chapter took me a few days because we had a holiday here (which I spent very far from my computer ). I truly hope you like it! The chapters are getting longer, I get too carried away by my ideas!

* * *

**Chapter 5. ****A winter's tale**

Finally winter came. Unlike most people in Konoha, Neji liked it. Not because of the holidays or the snow. Actually he didn't know exactly why, but the fact is that cold weather pleased him. Maybe it was because he thought heat was very unpleasant. Maybe because when he trained when it was cold his session would last longer. And that's exactly what he was going to do that moment. He headed to the training grounds, knowing that there would be nobody around.

He trained until around 3 PM. After four hours of non-stop training, he was naturally tired. Cracking his neck, Neji decided he should go home. He was sweaty and his hair was sticking to the back of his neck; these feelings bothered him hard. Being clean was a top priority to the ANBU captain while not on a mission, where a good bath normally was an impossible luxury. Speaking of missions, he hasn't been assigned to one in a long time – five days. He was truly workaholic, but Tsunade wouldn't send him on missions below A-rank. Normally he would agree with this, but sometimes he wanted to accept a D-rank mission only to be in action. Deep lost in thoughts about missions, the Hyuuga prodigy made his way home.

_It's Winter-fall  
Red skies are gleaming - oh -  
Sea-gulls are flyin' over  
Swans are floatin' by  
Smoking chimney-tops  
Am I dreaming...  
Am I dreaming...?_

A good shower and the certainty of a silky clean hair really got his mood up. Not that he was singing or skipping through his house, of course. Neji felt like roaming the streets of Konoha. The sun was almost setting, the air was cold; he couldn't stay indoors doing nothing. He thought about leaving on his usual attire, but deep inside his mind he heard a certain pink haired medic-nin's voice. 'You left without a coat? No wonder you caught a cold. You should take care of yourself and yadda yadda…" He knew she would scold him badly if he caught a cold for not protecting himself from the winter. Shrugging, he complied with imaginary Sakura and grabbed a warm coat.

Once outside the Hyuuga compound, he put on his coat and headed nowhere specifically. He let his feet guide him and observed the people walking on the streets. Most of them looked busy, buying Christmas gifts and supplies. Konoha was not a Christian village, so this specific holiday meant only giving and receiving presents. Neji didn't like it very much but his family did; because of that, every year he bought a little something for each member of his large white-eyed family. That night, though, he wasn't on a shopping mood. Actually the crowd was starting to bother him. Trying to get some peace, he headed to the park.

During summer time, the park would be crowded by squealing children. Neji didn't hate kids, although he didn't like loud noises. That's why that evening was even more pleasant. The park was almost desert; there where some couples here and there, some people just passing by, and one pink head alone on a bench. The Byakugan wielder silently approached the petite girl. He liked her company, even though he would never admit it – even to himself.

"Hyuuga Neji… It's been three days since I last saw your face. I knew you would miss me" Sakura said without turning around.

"I wasn't looking for you, Haruno" he replied. And it was true.

"I didn't say you were. Anyway, come here and sit with me." He did as she told, noting she was happily eating an enormous ice-cream.

"Hn. I'm wearing a coat because of you, and you're eating ice-cream in this cold weather." She looked at him as if he'd just spoken in Greek.

"Because of me? Are you trying to impress me, Hyuuga?" the girl giggled lightly. He decided to ignore her question; he didn't want to tell her why he was wearing a coat because of her.

"Fine. Hey, want some?" she offered him her ice-cream. Neji opened his mouth to decline, but Sakura was faster. "I know you don't eat sweets, but it's blueberry flavored! You'll like it."

"Thanks, but no tha-" he was interrupted by a spoon full of ice-cream. Sakura giggled, he glared. "You are the devil."

"No, I'm not. I'm your favorite doctor and I KNOW you liked the ice-cream. It wasn't that bad, right?"

No, it wasn't. But he would die a hundred times before telling her that. "Hn." She smiled. He never said she wasn't his favorite doctor. They kept silent for a while; she was busy eating, he was busy being quiet. Soon her ice-cream was over.

"Ne, Hyuuga, can I ask you something? It's kinda personal" he glanced at her suspiciously. What would she have in mind?

"Hn."

"That's not a proper answer, but I'm taking it as a yes." She leaned towards him and he pretended he didn't see it. Sakura took a handful of his hair. Neji felt something odd inside his stomach, as if butterflies were in there. He had felt it before, but it was only one time and he wasn't fully aware of its meaning. 'Must be the ice-cream she forced into me' yeah that would be the reason. She was very close, he could feel her scent, her warmth, _her_. The girl parted her lips. 'Is she going to… kiss me?' Now he was frightened. She was mere inches apart from him…

"How do you take care of your hair? I mean, it's so silky and smells so good… I struggle with mine and I only manage to keep it presentable. You have to tell me your secret!" So she was talking about his hair? Right, as if she would do anything improper to him. Her words pleased him; he was not-so-secretly proud of his long coffee brown hair.

"If I tell you my secret, I will have to kill you." She widened her eyes.

"Did you just make a joke or I'm imagining things? Because that would be a first."

"Hn."

"I mean it, Hyuuga. Your hair is to die for. Just tell me wh-" his index finger on her lips hushed her. His Byakugan was activated.

"I sense a chakra very interested in us…" he whispered. "It's… Sasuke." She paled. "Do you want me to leave you two?"

Sakura grasped his coat. "NO! I mean, I don't want to be with him. It's weird… A couple months ago I would do anything just to have a few minutes with Sasuke. But now… I don't know; I feel awkward around him. His mere presence makes me nervous in a bad way. I'm so confused! Please tell me he's leaving." She was still grasping his coat, looking deep into those Byakugan eyes.

Why was he glad to hear the words she said? 'She's really getting over him; this is good because she can now focus on her job and her missions. Yeah, that's why I'm glad to see she doesn't want to be near Uchiha.' He almost convinced himself. "Actually, he's coming here. I can make him go away, you know." She nodded. He cracked his knuckles.

"That would be good. But please don't kill him, how would we explain it to Tsunade-shishou?"

"Fair enough. But I'm thinking about something… funny." Wait; where did it come from? Neji doing funny things was almost a contradiction. But, deep inside, he was still a human being. Sasuke's face when he saw what Neji was going to do would make anything worthy and he knew it. "You have to trust me on this, ok?"

"You know I trust you."

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and did the impossible. He hugged Sakura's shoulders, making her head rest against his left shoulder. He felt her tense. "Play along." She silently agreed. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear "He's here."

Sakura thought for a second, and then giggled. "That tickles, Neji-kun!" She cuddled in his embrace and he tightened his arm around her. 'It's only to send that Uchiha away from here. I'm not enjoying it the wrong way and oh is she caressing my cheek? It feels good… No it doesn't! Stick to the plan. I'm helping her because she's always there for me, not because she's sweet and kind and beautiful and… What the hell am I thinking? It's about making fun of Uchiha'

Neji cupped her cheek with his right hand, raising her head to face his. He could feel a murderous chakra from behind and it amused him. She was looking straight into his eyes. Was that… warmth… inside those jade orbs?

"Sakura…" he whispered huskily. They were slowly approaching each other. He knew that Sasuke would interrupt them before they kissed, but a part of him, deep inside his head, hoped he wouldn't. The pink-haired kunoichi closed her eyes, cupping his right cheek with her left hand…

"Am I interrupting?" A raven-haired boy looked at themn then at Sakura. They glared at him, but Neji still held the girl.

"What do you want, Uchiha?" The ANBU captain suppressed a smirk. Sasuke was very predictable.

"Sakura, why are you doing this? It's ridiculous and it won't affect me." He ignored Neji and was staring openly at the medic-nin.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, although she knew the answer. Neji was right, it could be funny.

"You're using Hyuuga to make me jealous." Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Again? You told me that before. It was ridiculous then and it is still ridiculous now. Besides, my life is none of your business."

"Hn. You do whatever you want, I couldn't care less. Just don't involve me in your games." Sakura laughed and Neji smirked.

"Well, it wasn't me who started this conversation. Honestly, after everything you did and told, do you think I still have any kind of feeling for you?" his eyes widened in shock. 'Good one, Haruno!' Neji thought to himself.

"You… don't?"

"No, she doesn't. Isn't that what you always wanted? Now get off Uchiha, you're ruining our date."

Sharingan met Byakugan in a deathly glare. "Hn. You don't know what you're getting into, Hyuuga." Sasuke turned around and walked away.

'He's jealous of me and Haruno. If he ever tries anything against her, I will gladly forget he's not a missing-nin anymore and send him to the other world. Not that she needs protection, and not that I'm protecting her.'

Sakura looked at him in awe. "That was fantastic! Did you see the look on his face? Thank you, Hyuuga, you just made my day." Neji nodded at her. He was still holding the girl; it was warm and cozy, so she let herself stay a little more in his embrace and he didn't complain. They spent a few more minutes in the bench, before he let go of her and stood up.

"It's getting late and colder. Come." He offered his hand in order to help her getting up, which she did promptly. "Let's get something hot to drink."

"Are you asking me out, Hyuuga?" she said playfully, already knowing the answer.

"No." He offered her his arm. "We're already on a date." She reached her arm to him but stopped when he said that.

"What? Since when?" he could tell she wasn't expecting that.

"Since I told Uchiha we were. It would be very impolite leaving you here, wouldn't it?" this time he grabbed her hand. "Shall we?"

_The nights draw in  
There's a silky moon up in the sky - yeah -  
Children are fantasizing  
Grown-ups are standin' by  
What a super feeling  
Am I dreaming...  
Am I dreaming...?_

They went to a small charming café. Sakura ordered hot cocoa and Neji ordered green tea. While she was happily chattering about the holidays, he was thinking about how he ended up on a date with her. It wasn't his first date, but it was the first he didn't hate at all. He went out with a few of his fan girls only because Tenten forced him to. She always said that a girl could warm up his heart. The girls weren't ugly or annoying; he just never felt comfortable with any of them, maybe because they blindly worshipped him. With Sakura, it was different. After all, _he_ dragged her to that café. Why did he do that? He couldn't answer that – yet. But deep inside he felt that having this beautiful woman in front of him, talking to him, smiling at him, was something good. Her jade eyes sparkled every time she smiled or laughed. Those eyes were full of joy and warmth and tenderness, and reflected the moonlight. Her pale pink lips moved graciously when she talked and laughed. They looked so soft and sweet and…

"Why are you staring at me?" her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not." He quickly found out that his tea cup was the most interesting thing on Earth, as he set his white eyes on it.

"You don't fool me, tensai. You were looking at my lips. I know you're not deaf, so you don't need to read them when I speak."

He grabbed a napkin. "You have chocolate on the corner of your mouth. It makes me want to lick it clean. Here" he raised his hand towards her and cleaned her mouth. Her face got beet red – did he just say what she thought he did? Before she could even think, a green clad boy stood right beside them.

"There you are! I'm looking for you guys all over Konoha! Tsunade-sama is looking for you both. Come with me." Sakura was redder than before. Neji didn't stop what he was doing until he decided she was clean enough. Lee looked at him, then at the kunoichi, and tried his best to not notice that his 'rival' was so close to the girl he adored.

"Hi, Lee!" the pink-haired medic smiled widely at him. "Tsunade-shishou is looking for us? Do you know what is it about?"

"I think it's about a mission, Sakura" her eyes gleamed and Lee forgot she was there with Neji. He forgot everything but the beautiful girl in front of him.

"A mission?" She squealed. Neji was glad for having a mission, but Sakura was almost hysterical. "Finally! I'm almost going crazy with that hospital. What are we waiting for? Let's go to the Hokage Tower now!" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed both boys by their arms and dragged them out of the café. In less than 15 minutes they entered the Godaime's office.

"Shishou! Is it true that you're giving me a mission?" Sakura looked like a child about to get a new toy.

"Yes, Sakura, it's true. Now please you four sit down for a little briefing."

'Four?' Sakura asked inwardly. Only then she noted another person in the room. Her jade eyes met onyx ones, much to her displeasure. 'What's HE doing here?'

"Ok, guys. Your mission is A-ranked and you have to travel to Kumogakure. Our spies found out that they are planning an attack against the Kazekage, who asked for our help. Since we can't ignore our friend Gaara's request, I'm sending four of our best shinobi. I know it's almost Christmas, but I'm sure you understand the situation. You're leaving tomorrow morning. Your mission is to destroy any plans against the Kazekage. In this folder you have all the information you'll need. Neji, you'll be the leader. I need to talk to you; Sakura, Lee and Sasuke, you're dismissed."

Neji glanced at Sakura. He knew she wasn't happy about Sasuke being on their team. When she motioned to leave, he grabbed her wrist and looked deep into her eyes. She understood he wanted to talk to her, so she nodded and the three of them left the room.

"Neji" Tsunade started. "Keep an eye on Sakura. She's so eager to be in action that I'm afraid she might push herself beyond her limit. Let her fight, she needs it, but make sure she's safe." He nodded. "One last thing. Keep another eye on Sasuke. I'm sure you know what I mean."

"I do. Anything else, Hokage-sama?"

"No. Go talk to her, she's waiting for you." He bowed and left. Tsunade grabbed a bottle of sake; it was empty. "Shizuneeeeeeeeeeeeee! More sake!"

Sakura was waiting outside the room. There was no sign of Lee or Sasuke. She had a wrinkle on her forehead, which only made it more charming. 'Charming? I meant pretty. NO! I meant-'

"What do you wanna talk about?"

"You're upset because he's going with us."

"Am I that transparent?" she lowered her head. "It seems that fate is mocking me. When I wanted him around, he was never there. Now that I want him away from me, he keeps getting into my way."

He approached her. "Haruno, remember you are a kunoichi. Sometimes we are forced to work with people we don't like. Don't let your personal issues mess with your job. He is a high skilled shinobi after all; keep that in mind and you should be ok." She gave him a faint but thankful smile.

"You're right. Besides, I can beat the crap out of him only with my pinky."

"Good. We will meet tomorrow at 5 AM by the North Gate. Bring warm clothes; Kumogakure is impossibly cold these days. Do you want me to walk you home?" 'Why did I even ask it? Chivalry, of course.'

"As much as I'd love you to, you need to get some rest. Go home and get ready for tomorrow!" He nodded; she was right. "Bye! And thanks for the date, I really enjoyed it." She turned around and left. It was when Neji did the unthinkable: he smiled.

_So quiet and peaceful  
Tranquil and blissful  
There's a kind of magic in the air  
What a truly magnificent view  
A breathtaking scene  
With the dreams of the world  
In the palm of your hand_

It had snowed during the night. Konoha woke up covered by a thick layer of white. It was still dark; there was nobody on the streets. In front of the North Gate, however, four shinobi were ready to leave for a mission. They wore ANBU-style cloaks; one face was white, so they could hide on the snow, and the other face was black, allowing the user to camouflage on bushes or dark spaces.

Neji had been the first one to arrive, closely followed by Lee. Sakura got there three minutes later, and finally Sasuke arrived at 5 AM sharp. They left instantly, traveling through the woods. After their lunch break, there wasn't snow anymore. They quickly wore the cloaks with the black face outside. Time flew; it was almost dark when Sakura approached the mission leader.

"I think we are being followed" she said very lowly, almost whispering.

"I noticed it too. Let's lure them to a clearing, and then you can take care of them."

Neji signaled the other team members to follow him. With his Byakugan he soon found out a clearing. "Haruno, it's a group of six Cloud jounin. I know it's almost too easy for you, but take it seriously and don't give everything you have. It's only a warm up." She nodded and jumped into the clearing.

"Yosh! Now our cherry blossom will show them all the power of her youth!"

"What are you talking about? She will probably break down in tears and call for help."

Both Neji and Lee glared at Sasuke. "How you dare saying such a thing about Sakura?" The taijutsu master couldn't believe his ears. Sasuke shrugged.

"Lee is right. Haruno improved a lot. She is very strong both physically and mentally. You haven't seen her fight in a while, that's why you think very low of her."

"That's cute, Hyuuga is defending his girlfriend" the raven-haired boy said in mock. Lee flinched at the word 'girlfriend'. So they were really dating…?

"Hn. You'll see for yourself." The Hyuuga prodigy turned his attention to the clearing.

The six jounin surrounded Sakura. "It's only a girl!" one of them said. They were slowly approaching the pink-haired kunoichi, when suddenly she punched the ground. A huge cratter appeared, dragging six now clueless shinobi into it. Sakura took six poisoned senbon and threw them against her foes; they didn't stand a chance. Soon they stopped moving. Lee was the first one to arrive there.

"Great! You showed them that youth always wins!" the girl sweat-dropped.

"Thanks Lee! But if the Cloud jounin are this easy to kill, we should be able to finish this mission before New Year's Eve."

Not very far from them, Sasuke was truly dumbfounded. His eyes were larger than dinner plates and his mouth was wide opened. Did Sakura just kill six men _that_ easily? Was that girl the same little helpless Sakura he once knew? She still had the same green eyes, the same pink hair, the same slender frame and the same 'protect me' face. What had he missed?

"… Strong…" it was the only thing he could mutter.

"Hn. I told you, Uchiha" but Neji didn't wait for an answer. He approached Sakura and Lee. "Good job, Haruno. Let's search them for evidences, and then get rid of the bodies." The other two agreed and did as they were told. Eventually Sasuke noticed what was going on and helped his companions.

When they were done with the bodies, it was so dark and cold that it would be useless to keep going on. They agreed in setting camp for the night. There were only two tents; Sakura explained that sleeping beside another person would keep both warm. Because she was the only girl, Neji let her choose beside who she would sleep. After thinking for a minute, she simply said:

"Lee." Said boy almost passed out.

_A cosy fireside chat  
A little this, a little that  
Sound of merry laughter skippin' by  
Gentle rain beatin' on my face  
What an extraordinary place!_

Sakura took the first watching turn. Nothing happened in almost two hours. The fire kept her warm, and she was getting sleepy. About 30 minutes before her turn ended, the person responsible for the next turn got out from his tent. It was Sasuke.

"You have half an hour of sleeping! Go back to your tent."

"Sakura, I want to talk to you." He sat near her. "I saw your fight today… You impressed me. You surely improved a lot; you're stronger than any other kunoichi I've ever known."

"Um… Thanks?" her whole face showed she was confused about his behavior.

"After this afternoon, I made a decision. You will help me rebuild my clan."

"You what?" a little nerve popped out of her forehead.

"Think about the future! Our children will be the strongest shinobi on history! And you'll be a part of Konoha's strongest clan."

Another nerve popped out. "Sasuke, do you think I'm some kind of a baby machine? Are you out of your mind? I thought I made it very clear that I don't have feelings for you anymore."

"You don't want me to believe you were serious yesterday! Look at the chance I'm giving you. I know you love me since we were kids; this is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

A third nerve popped out. She clenched her right fist, gathering chakra on it. "Now I see I never loved you. How could I even think about such a cold-hearted bastard? Don't make me lose my mind."

He chuckled. "Forget your damn pride and admit the truth! We will announce our engagement as soon as we get back from this mission. Come, I'll let you kiss me, I know you're dying to!"

Her eyes were now two raging flames. "A kiss? That's not a bad idea. Here's your kiss." She kissed her knuckles and punched him hard on the face. Sasuke flew across two large trees and almost broke the third one in half, falling unconscious on the groud. "Did you like it, you bastard?"

"Bravo" she heard a baritone voice behind her. Sakura turned around quickly and saw a pair of white eyes looking at her.

"Did you see it?"

"The whole scene. Come here and sit, you are still shaking." Neji sat down and Sakura sat right next to him.

"Can you believe what he said? I despise him so much! He spent a lifetime calling me weak and treating me like trash, and now he has the nerve to think that a cheap compliment will send me flying into his arms? I lost so many years of my life chasing this idiot, how could I have been so blind?"

"Hn. He is like Raoul." She looked at him, puzzled.

"What?"

"Raoul, you know, the guy who looked at Christine only because she could sing wonderfully."

Sakura was flabbergasted. "I know who he is! I'm surprised you still remember him! You're amazing, Neji"

'Did she just call me Neji?' "Anyway, Uchiha is doing the same thing with you. Five seconds before you killed those jounin he still thought of you as a weakling."

"Gosh, I'm disgusted by the mere thought of having kids with him! I truly hope he won't be stalking me with his stupid idea. Where's my Phantom when I need one?"

"The Phantom of the Opera is here, inside your mind" he said, quoting the movie. The girl looked at him, even more surprised.

"I could kiss you right now, but you'd surely Kaiten me away from here." Now he blushed, what the hell was she saying? Luckily the poor light hid it, but his face still looked startled.

"Mou, Hyuuga, I'm kidding! It's just that you're quoting my favorite movie and it's a major turn on. Now, what we're gonna do with him?" She pointed to Sasuke.

"You hit him hard, didn't you? Go check if he's still alive." She did so. He was alive, but his jaw was broken. Sakura promptly healed him. Bastard or not, he was still needed for the mission. She dragged him back to his tent. After making sure he was warm, she looked back to Neji.

"Since I knocked him out, I will take his watching turn. You can go back to sleep."

"No. I'll share his turn with you, so you can properly rest. Wake me up in one hour."

She agreed; arguing would be useless anyway. One hour passed by; she managed to calm down. It was time to fetch Neji. Sakura silently went to his tent and opened it. He was sleeping peacefully, like an angel. She noticed he was very handsome even in his sleep; it would be a shame to wake him up. But she had to; after all, she was tired and needed some rest. The kunoichi bent down and whispered in his ear.

"Hyuuga, wake up!" his eyelids fluttered and then opened. "It's your turn; get up, Sleeping Beauty!"

A lovely lady whispering lightly in his ear: that was a good way to wake up. Neji stretched and unzipped his sleeping bag. She was already outside. "I made some tea. Here" she offered him a cup as soon as he got out from his tent. "I'm going to sleep now… Call me if you need anything, and don't forget to wake Lee up. Night!" the girl yawned and crawled into her sleeping bag. It took less than two minutes for sleep to claim her.

_And the dreams of the child  
Is the hope of the man  
It's all so beautiful  
Like a landscape painting in the sky - yeah –_

Now Neji would have two and a half hours to organize his thoughts. Specially the ones related to his pink-haired companion. He was tired of denying it – there was definitely _something_ happening between them. She always treated him more than nicely when he was injured. She kept telling he was her favorite patient and he knew she did it because he was grumpy when depending on others. Even then he had never thought about her in a special way. Well, Sakura was a beautiful woman, anyone could see that. But she had feelings for Sasuke, so she didn't count as an available girl. Anyway he had always seen her as his doctor, not as a human being. After she slapped him, he opened his eyes and realized that there are things that even the Byakugan couldn't see. That night he knew she was trying to get over her childhood crush. Although it didn't seem a big deal, that girl in particular was ready to let an important part of her past go. It required a lot of strength; he knew it for a fact. Accepting his father's loss took a lot of time and effort. That night he respected her a little more.

The way she clung to his arm the next day felt just so right. He was enjoying her warmth next to him, even though he tried to deny it so hard. But the thing that really impressed him was that she didn't act as if he was a trophy to be shown off, as his fan girls would certainly do. She acted as if he was just Neji, not the 'drop-dead gorgeous ANBU captain Hyuuga prodigy Neji' (his fan girls said it, not he). When they were watching The Phantom of the Opera, she was so excited about the movie, which she had seen dozens of times before, that her cheerfulness impressed him a bit. When he walked her home and left her there, he found out that it took some effort to take her out of his mind. And still he denied it to himself.

The day before was even more confusing and revealing. Sakura was a lovely girl, she treated anyone tenderly. But the way she acted towards him was somehow different. When she told him that she couldn't stand Sasuke anymore, his stomach did a back flip. The way he embraced her and she cuddled against him made his heart somersault. And when she leaned in to 'kiss' him, he felt as his chest was about to explode. He took her on a date impulsively; they walked hand in hand and it felt good. When he arrived home that night, he still didn't want to admit he was totally wrapped around her finger.

That night Neji heard everything Sasuke told her. He was about to beat that bastard to a pile of limp meat, but that petite girl showed she could handle it. Much to his satisfaction she dumped him. Hard. He was thankful for not being on Sasuke's place; he was thankful for being there for her. For cheering her up; for being someone she cared about. And then he couldn't deny it anymore.

He was in love with her.

It was time to wake Lee up. He walked to the tent he shared with Sakura and opened it. The first thing he saw was a pink head. She was breathing slowly, as if nothing bad had ever happened to her. Neji let himself look at her a little longer, but was barely able to refrain himself from kissing her charming forehead. He would never take advantage on a sleeping woman. He admired her delicate jaw line, her small nose, her slightly parted lips, her lovely forehead, the creamy skin of her neck…

"Neji? Why are you staring at her?" it was merely a whisper but sounded like a yell.

"It's your turn now. Get up." He glanced at his former teammate, and then stepped outside.

"It's finally the springtime of your youthful love!" Lee did his nice-guy pose.

"Hn." Would he never stop talking and acting like Gai-sensei?

"I heard what happened before. That Sasuke is really unyouthful, I'm glad Sakura got over him. I always dreamed about the day when she would be ready for love again… But I never expected it to come from you of all people. How did it happen?"

Neji looked into those black fiery eyes very deeply. Lee has always been very observant; denying would do him no good. On the other hand, the Hyuuga genius didn't feel like discussing his most personal feelings with anyone, let alone the green clad boy.

"I will go back to sleep. Wake us up at 6 AM." He opened his tent.

"She's fragile now. Break her heart and once upon a time there was a dead ANBU captain."

Neji didn't look back. 'I won't.'

The next morning, Neji and Sakura woke up easily. Sasuke was still knocked out inside the tent. The medic-nin had to put some of her chakra into his head in order to bring him back to consciousness. She agreed with the other two that they would pretend nothing had happened the night before, for the sake of the mission. After a quick breakfast they resumed their journey. While jumping from tree to tree, Sakura approached Neji.

"Hyuuga, I want to talk to you in private during lunch break." He nodded and she got back to her position. Needless to say, he got a little anxious. Suddenly the minutes seemed to last hours, and lunch break came like four days after that.

"I'm going to look for fresh water and refill our canteens. Haruno, come with me. Lee, get rid of our fire. Uchiha, study our maps and find us a quick way to Kumogakure."

They soon found a stream that luckily wasn't frozen. After refilling the canteens, Neji looked at the girl beside him.

"So, what you wanted to talk to me?"

She blushed lightly. "Ano… I wanted to give you these. Merry Christmas!" Sakura handed him a small package. He opened it carefully and, for the first time, smiled at her.

"Blueberry muffins! Wow… You didn't have to give me anything. I have got nothing for you…"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not expecting anything back. I know you like my muffins and I like baking them."

"No, I don't like your muffins. I love them! Sometimes I dream of eating one. And I didn't just tell you that." She smiled warmly at him.

"I'm glad I was mistaken about you. You always seemed a human ice cube, but now I see the beautiful person you truly are. Don't hide yourself from me anymore. I'm amazed to meet the true Hyuuga Neji behind the stoic façade." She faced the tall man in front of her, raising her hand so it was cupping his cold cheek. The pinkette lightly caressed his handsome face, and then withdrew her hand.

"Now it's time to go back and finish this mission. I don't wanna miss Kakashi-sensei's New Year party and I'm still thinking of a plan to make you go with me." She winked playfully at him.

"You only have to ask."

"Would you go with me?"

"No."

"Neji! It's not funny!"

"All right, I'll go with you." 'She just called me Neji again…'

_Mountains are zoomin' higher - mm -  
Little girls scream an' cry  
My world is spinnin' and spinnin' and spinnin'  
It's unbelievable  
Sends me reeling_

The mission was successful. They were finally back to Konoha with only a few minor injuries. Sakura forced the three boys to go to the hospital because she was completely out of chakra and couldn't heal them herself. From the hospital they went to the Hokage's tower. Neji gave Tsunade their report and she dismissed them. Once outside the hall, Lee excused himself and left. He was going to run 15 laps around Konoha. Sasuke glared at Neji, then at Sakura, and then vanished. So our heroes were again alone with each other. She decided to take a random walk and he offered her his company.

"It's always good to be back!" Sakura inhaled deeply, even the air smelled different in Konoha.

"Feeling nostalgic, Haruno?" she tilted her head to his side.

"Nostalgic? No, it's not like that. Being back means you're alive after a successful mission. I like being alive, don't you?"

"Of course I do." 'And now I like being alive more than never'

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei's party is tomorrow. You're still going with me, ne?"

"Yes. Pick you up at 10?"

"Yeah… Unless you want to have dinner with me; if so, show up at 8."

"Are you hitting on me, Haruno?"

She smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway I'll cook sukiyaki…" She knew he loved it and he knew she knew.

"Fine, 8 PM it is."

"Great! Don't forget to wear white attire! See you tomorrow!" the girl waved and headed home. Neji sighed; what was this girl doing with his mind?

_Am I dreaming...  
Am I dreaming...?  
Oooh - it's bliss._

At 8 PM sharp, Neji knocked on Sakura's door and almost fell on the ground when she opened it. The girl was fabulous; she wore a tight white tank top with a huge golden heart on the front side, a mini golden skirt, high-heeled knee high white boots and a long and warm white overcoat. She put only a light touch of golden eye shadow and small golden earrings. Her hair was up in a high long fake (but natural looking) ponytail.

"Do you like it?" she asked. Deep inside she knew she dressed up for him, so his opinion was more than important.

"If I like it? You're gorgeous. I'm sure you'll cause some nosebleeds tonight."

She blushed and he thought she was even more beautiful. "You look pretty good yourself. Come in, dinner is ready!" Pretty good was an understatement. His hair was loose from its usual ponytail. He wore a deep blue shirt, white pants, black shoes and a white coat. "Help yourself. I hope you like it!"

The dinner was delicious. They talked about nothing in particular while eating. Neji, being the gentleman he was, helped her with the dishes. "Haruno, thanks for the dinner. I really liked it." Her smile widened.

"You did? That's good! Now it's time to go to the party!"

She opened the door, turned the lights off and got out of her apartment, followed by Neji. After locking her home, he offered her his arm. She was getting used to it but had a better idea. She grabbed his hand instead, lacing fingers with him. He looked at her as if asking if it was ok; she gave him an assuring smile. Sakura thought that walking hand in hand with someone was very sweet. It was not her first time walking like that with Neji, but now it was more intimate. She felt her stomach clenching, but the tender look in his eyes calmed her down. What was happening to her? Why she felt different around him? It wasn't love. In her head, love was always related to Sasuke and all the bad things he made her go through. For her, the word 'love' meant tears, angst and coldness. What she felt for Neji was something different; thrilling, warm and good. She couldn't describe it as 'love'; it would be like putting those two very different feelings as equals.

The party was already crowded. The quasi-couple entered the big salon; they felt like hundreds of curious eyes on them. She didn't care because she was happy and doing nothing wrong. He didn't care because he didn't care. But soon enough some friends of theirs would harass them with endless questions. Both Neji and Sakura were unsure about what they had between them, for it was recent and unspoken. The music was very loud; he almost shouted on her ear.

"They will start making questions any time from now."

"Give them your Hyuuga glare! Tonight I'm having fun with _you_, not with our friends."

He thought his heart stopped beating when her words sunk in. The Hyuuga genius decided not to answer, as he would probably ruin the moment. He squeezed her hand lightly; almost at the same time they heard Kakashi's voice.

"All right, everyone! It's time for the countdown! Are you ready?" the crowd cheered loudly.

"TEN!"

White met jade.

"NINE!"

Still looking into her eyes, Neji slipped a hand to the back of her neck.

"EIGHT!"

His other hand rested on her cheek.

"SEVEN!"

She placed her hands on his muscled chest.

"SIX!"

Now she smiled. With all her heart.

"FIVE!"

He smiled back. He was handsome while serious; smiling he was drop-dead-gorgeous-times-ten.

"FOUR!"

She felt her knees falter. She was lost in those white orbs of his, still trying to understand what she was feeling.

"THREE!"

He saw her confusion. It wasn't a bad thing; at least she was thinking seriously about them.

"TWO!"

His thumb caressed her cheek. She leaned in to his touch, never taking her eyes from his.

"ONE!"

He bent down to her…

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!"

… and kissed her forehead. Sakura was confused and Neji would wait patiently for her. He hugged her tight and she hugged him back as if for dear life. If he had kissed her, she would have kissed him back. But it wouldn't have been as sweet as their embrace. She raised her head, putting her cheek against his so she could speak only for him to hear.

"Happy New Year, Neji."

"Happy New Year, Sakura."


	6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

A/N: Guys! I'm so happy you liked the last chapter! I personally liked it a lot as well (who wouldn't want to be in their place?) and I really tried my best to make this chapter as good as the previous one ) In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a helplessly romantic girl, so this story will be sweet and fluffy. If someone is expecting angst or drama or character death, there are lots of very good stories with said themes. Not this one ;-)

This chapter took me a little longer because I rewrote it three times. It was never good enough and it's still not exactly how I wanted, but it's a little more than acceptable so I'm posting it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6. ****Crazy little thing called love**

January 1st. 10:23 AM. Sleepy jade eyes slowly opened and met white ones.

"Good morning, gorgeous" a deep male voice echoed on her bedroom. She smiled at him, happy to see his handsome face first thing in the morning. Wait a second… White eyes, male voice, handsome face, her bedroom? What the…?

"Neji?! You're here! I mean, did you… we… uh…" Sakura's face got deep red. What would have happened? Neji sat on her bed by her side, never taking his eyes from hers.

"Absolutely nothing. You were tired and fell asleep while I was carrying you home. The only thing I did was taking your coat and boots off."

She looked at herself. Indeed she was still wearing last night's clothes, the fake ponytail, the earrings and make-up. What was she thinking? Obviously Neji would never do anything against her will, let alone take advantage on her sleeping form. The medic-nin was now fully awake and noticed that her sort-of-boyfriend had his ANBU attire on. She tilted her head to the right and he saw the question in her eyes.

"Hokage-sama sent my squad on a mission today. It's nothing dangerous, but we should be away for one month." He tucked a lock of pink hair behind her hear. "Don't look at me like that. It's not like I had a choice, anyway."

The girl sadly nodded. "I know you have to go. It's the life we chose… Promise you'll get back in one piece!" He smiled.

"If I don't, I happen to know a pink-haired doctor who would make me as good as new" he winked playfully at her. She giggled. Then silence came. He didn't want to go, to leave her so soon in their still undefined relationship. His hand cupped her cheek. "Sakura, I-" he was interrupted by her throwing herself on his arms. Neji wasn't expecting that; he fell on her bed with her on top of him.

"Oh Neji, I miss you already!" Sakura inhaled deeply on the crook of his neck. His warm scent filled her nostrils and made her head dizzy. She felt his strong arms embracing her in a very tender way. Deep inside he was afraid that what they shared the night before was only a mistake. She self-consciously showed him that she at least cared about him, about them. He felt no need to rush things. He kissed the top of her head and lifted his left hand to caress her pink tresses.

"You know…" she spoke; her warm breath against the skin of his neck sent a light shiver down his spine. "…I will be waiting for you, right?" she cuddled against his wide chest. He squeezed her lightly. He could see she was being honest.

"And you know I will come back to you, right?" she nodded. Silence came again, but it wasn't awkward. The air was cold and they were keeping each other warm. Although she was on top of him, their position wasn't sensual, but affectionate. Of course they noticed the proximity between their bodies, but the moment was too tender to be lustful.

After 10 minutes, he finally broke the silence. "Sakura, I have to go now. My squad is waiting for me." she rolled to the side, allowing him to get up from her bed. She got up as well and took his hand on hers, leading him to the door. Before she opened the door, Neji caught her petite body again, holding her tightly. She held him back.

"Hn. I will have a hard time trying to focus on the mission instead of thinking about you all the time." Sakura giggled, who would tell that the Hyuuga genius was that sweet? She tipped on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. The pink-haired kunoichi was actually restraining herself from kissing his lips; she was positive that Neji was developing some deep feelings for her. She thought she was, too; but she needed to be sure it wasn't merely an infatuation before getting too involved and then hurt the poor guy. Deep inside, though, she was almost 100 sure that it wasn't an infatuation.

He didn't seem bothered at all by the way she acted. In fact, the ANBU captain was quite pleased in having Sakura's attention and affection. If she needed time to reassort her thoughts, then he would give her all the time she needed – although he strongly hoped that she would choose to be with him.

"One more thing, Neji… Your favorite doctor asked me to tell you to take care of yourself or else!" they both smiled at each other. It was time for him to go. He bent down and kissed her forehead.

"See you in a month…" he opened the door and left.

Sakura sighed deeply, closing the door and leaning against it. She had to use all her willpower to not run after him. This feeling definitely was something new, something different from anything she had ever felt before – and better, so much better. Now she would have a whole month to think about Neji and her relationship with him.

_This thing called love I just can't handle it  
this thing called love I must get round to it  
I ain't ready  
Crazy little thing called love_

The first few days were so frantic that she barely had time to think about anything besides the hospital. That winter was particularly cold, so she had to deal with an abnormal high number of frostbite and hypothermia cases. The good thing about it was that her crazy schedule distracted her from Neji's absence. But every single second she wasn't working she was thinking about him. Those white eyes never left her mind; his sexy baritone voice haunted her sleep – in a good way, though. The only thing that helped her drifting into sleep was his scent from a shirt she stole from his bag the day he went to his mission. Sakura felt a little guilt about stealing from him, and it was so cold out there that she was praying he wouldn't freeze because he had one less shirt.

Finally, after 10 days of non-stop working, she had a day off! The first thing she had in mind was eating a huge blueberry ice-cream. And so she did. While tasting its delicious coldness, Sakura decided to take a walk around the park. She smiled at the sight of the bench where she almost kissed Neji. In less than a month, she had more good memories with him than in years with Sasuke.

'**That's because they can't even be compared, silly'** Guess who's back!

'My dear inner self! I thought you had left me' she was now seating on that bench.

'**Hello? I am a part of you, how can I ever go away?'**

'But you've been away for a while, I kinda missed you'

'**Really? How touching'** sarcastic as ever. **'Anyway, I only talk to you when I feel you need me to. And lately you've doing pretty good by yourself. I should say I'm proud of you! You got yourself the man every girl would die for!'**

'Hell yeah! I can't believe we spent all those years thinking about that Uchiha idiot.'

'**Those days are gone, honey. Speaking of the devil, you know he's been following you for a while, right?'**

Sakura sighed. Of course she noticed him, but she was praying that he would just go away. But he didn't.

"Uchiha Sasuke, stop stalking me." Said boy approached her, his hands in his pockets.

"Hn. I'm not stalking you. Anyone is free to walk here."

"Right." She rolled her eyes; Inner Sakura made a very obscene gesture.

"Well, since you happened to be in my way, we could use this opportunity to talk." He said plainly.

"Ok by me. I needed to talk to you too." 'And kick you out of my mind for good' she thought, while giving him some space to sit beside her.

"How can you eat ice-cream when it's that cold?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Sasuke, you're not here to criticize my habits. Go on, you're wasting my precious time."

"Whoa, easy Sakura! I came in peace. I was hoping we could talk about what happened during our last mission." She looked deep into his onyx eyes. The very same eyes that made her shiver now caused no good reaction in her. "You said you would always love me."

"Yes, I did. But I was friggin' thirteen! Back then I was sure I loved you. When you were away, I still was sure. And you came back to Konoha; I thought you would come to me. But no; all you did was push me away or even worse, ignore me. The last time you were rude to me the glass finally broke. That day I decided I would get over you and move on with my life. Guess what? I did it, and it was easier than I thought. At first I was scared; after all, you were all I could think about for half of my lifetime. Letting go the idea of you was actually harder than letting you go. You made me think that love was meant to be a bad thing, full of tears and vain hopes. And I believed it, stupid me! Now I see it clearly and I need you to know that I never loved you. And yet the word 'love' still has a bad meaning. That's why I need it to be very clear: those feelings I had for you were not love."

"Ok then, it doesn't matter. It never did." Liar. His pride was a bit hurt – not that he would show her. "But I'm not asking for love, although it could help a bit. Now that my revenge is complete, I will revive my clan. And you're the one who will help me."

"Don't say it ever again. If you'd asked me a couple months ago, I would have happily agreed." And it disgusted her now. "But I was unworthy of your mere company because I was a _weakling_, right? The funny thing is I was never weak. You made me think I was weak, and when you went away I could see my real strength. It took you so long to see how I really am that when you finally did, it was too late. I truly hope you can revive your clan, but I won't be a pawn in your life. And before you say anything, understand that I am not playing difficult. I am not trying to get your attention. I do not have feelings for you anymore. I. Moved. On."

"Hn. As if that Hyuuga freak is better than me." Oh, wrong thing to say. Her hand slapped his cheek as quickly as his smirk faded away. Now he had a very inconspicuous red hand mark on his face.

'**Shannaro! Take that you sick bastard!'** Inner Sakura was delighted.

"Better than you? Neji is way beyond that. You know what? I thought we could have a civilized conversation. Guess I was wrong. The thing is: annoy me one more time and Kami-sama help you. Now get the hell out of my way before I do it myself."

Sasuke knew it wasn't a bluff. He narrowed his eyes at her. "You'll regret it, Sakura. And I will laugh at your face when it happens."

"Leave." Her angry eyes would scare the toughest man. The only thing scarier than a furious Sakura was furious Sakura getting rid of what annoyed her. The Uchiha heir sneered at her and finally left. Her once sweetest dream turned into a nasty nightmare.

'**At least we're done with him for good, ne?'**

'And it was about damn time…'

_This__thing (This Thing) called love  
(Called Love)  
It cries (Like a baby)  
In a cradle all night  
It swings (Woo Woo)  
It jives (Woo Woo)  
It shakes all over like a jelly fish,  
I kinda like it  
Crazy little thing called love_

One more week passed by. This time, her best girl friends were in Konoha, so they decided to have a sleepover party at Tenten's. All of them were in a huge need for a good girl talk. Sakura baked some walnut cookies and a family size chocolate cake. Hinata made her famous hot cocoa. Ino smuggled some cognac to put into the cocoa. And Tenten, as the hostess, naturally was responsible for extra futons and covers.

"So, Hinata," Ino started, "how are things with Kiba? I want all the juicy details!" the Hyuuga heiress blushed violently. The other girls giggled.

"Ino!" Sakura scolded softly. "Hinata-chan, don't listen to this pervert. Anyway, dog boy is completely in love with you, anyone can tell just by looking at him. You guys are so perfect for each other!" Tenten smiled and nodded.

"You're right, Sakura-chan… I'm so happy with him! Even my family approves our relationship, and you know it's a big deal. It took us a bit long but everything happened in the right time. Kiba-kun is just a dream…"

"Awnnn isn't it the cutest thing? I'm glad your love life is that good! You know, the first few months of a relationship tend to be the most exciting. Then you'll get used to each other and things start to stabilize, to mature." Tenten stated. She was the voice of experience among the girls, for she had the longest and most stable relationship.

"That's because in the beginning passion is greater than love." Ino complemented. "That is, if you're lucky enough. Although Shika-kun is a great boyfriend, he's too lazy to be passionate. And, of course, he keeps telling me that I'm a troublesome woman. Really, sometimes I wonder why I'm with him in the first place."

"But then you notice the love in his eyes when he sees you, and you forget about everything else." Ino smiled in agreement. "Ino-pig, I know you love him for who he is, troublesome or not, and you got him totally whipped!"

"Sakura-chan is right, Ino-chan. My guess is that he loves you because you're troublesome! I mean, who else does he call troublesome anyway?"

"Hinata has a point there. He gives you special attention, Ino, and that, coming from Shikamaru, is a big thing. Speaking of special attention, Sakura, when were you planning to tell us about you and Neji? I know him like forever and I never ever saw him like that. Girl, you have to tell us your secret!"

"Yeah, Forehead, I agree with Tenten. I never saw Neji on a party. I never heard about him being with a girl. And I saw _him_ with _you_ at Kakashi-sensei's _party_. I thought you loved Sas-"

"Shush!" Sakura interrupted her blonde friend. "I thought I loved that bastard. I couldn't be more mistaken! You know, he always treated me like trash. But we had a mission together, and he saw me fighting six Cloud jounin. You know it's an easy job for any of us girls – Kumogakure has the weakest ninjas – but when he saw what I did, he literally demanded that I would help him revive the Uchiha clan. I was so disgusted! It makes me more disgusted to know that some months ago I would have agreed with that."

"So now he wants you to be his personal baby machine?" Hinata was shocked.

"Yeah, can you believe it? And last week we talked briefly. I wanted to politely tell him to get the fuck away from me, but he insisted on his sick idea. At least I got some closure… Because of him I thought love meant suffering, for that was everything he made me feel and I was sure it was love. I always believed it blindly, but lately I got a bit confused…"

"…because you started to develop some strange feelings, right?" three pairs of eyes turned to the bluish-black-haired girl. "Warm, good, addicting feelings towards a certain cousin of mine. You thought it couldn't be love because love wasn't meant to be good. But deep inside you had a little voice telling you what love really is."

Sakura was flabbergasted. "How did you…?" Hinata smiled.

"These white eyes are not useless, you know. But nevertheless I still don't know exactly how you managed to get to Neji-niisan's heart. It seems you had to slap him awake – literally" she winked at her pink-haired friend. The Hyuuga girl was impressive indeed.

"You two look adorable together! Though I never thought you'd end up with him, or he with any girl." All the girls laughed at Tenten's statement. "Really! I forced him to go out with two or three of his fan girls, but all of them ran away from him crying. At first I thought he was gay, but after all those years as his teammate I realized he's just old fashioned. He won't start a relationship unless he sees a real future for it. If he allowed you to get that close to him, then you can be sure he's head over heels in love with you!"

"In his own way, of course. Don't expect Neji-niisan to make big public displays of affection. The New Year's party was a huge exception, and it just shows how intense his feelings for you are. Still, he's pretty sweet behind his cool façade." Sakura nodded at Hinata.

"Yeah, I know!" Her jade eyes softened. "It was a great surprise. I mean, he's never been rude to me – of course it has nothing to do with me threatening his health – but between not being rude and being lovely, there's a huge difference. Crazy little thing called love, huh? It appears in the most unexpected places, from the most unthinkable people…"

"So, assuming you girls are right and Neji is in love with you, and you just admitted to be in love with him, there's one thing I don't understand. Why didn't you kiss him yet? You said it yourself, he's handsome, and by the way he looks at you, I think you're like a goddess to him…"

"**The pig girl is right! I want it, and I know you want it too!"**

"Ino-pig, things are not that easy. You know, I was confused about my feelings. I was trying to make the right choice. Of course I'm attracted to him and not kissing him was hard, but the right thing to do; if it was only an infatuation, I would hurt him if we started a relationship. But now that he's not around, I miss him like hell!" Sakura sighed deeply. It was true; Neji's absence was driving her insane. It wasn't the same thing she felt when Sasuke left, though. She missed Sasuke because she depended emotionally on him; she always thought that he completed her, as if she was half of a person. On the other hand, Neji made her notice she was one whole person, and she felt good about it. She didn't realize a wide smile growing on her lips at the mere thought of him.

"And when are you going to tell him?" Tenten asked.

"He'll be back in less than two weeks from now. I don't wanna lose any more time, so I guess I'll talk to him as soon as he gets back. We never really talked about it, although we do have a thing between us. Unspoken, but real." The words came out of her mind spontaneously. Thinking of it, she was right, they had a thing between them. It wasn't official but you could say it was a blossoming relationship. "The thing is, how can I tell him? It's not a thing to be done casually. And I have a strong feeling that he'll stop by the hospital. You girls know how he pushes himself over his limit."

"I think the best way is letting it flow. Don't make plans, because the right time will naturally come. And even if you say nothing, Neji is smart enough to read through your actions. He would never open himself to you if he saw you were a dead end. I'm not sure if I'm making myself clear, but…"

"No, Tenten, I get it. You're right; I already showed I was interested on him in a more than friendly way. He noticed it, I'm sure."

"Okay, Forehead! Now tell me the names of my godchildren." Sakura looked at her blonde friend with a big question mark in her eyes. "What? If Tenten's right, he will eventually propose to you. Of course you'll say yes, which means you'll get married. With marriage comes sex, and with sex come children." Tenten giggled, Sakura blushed and Hinata almost fainted.

"Ino you pervert! Can't you think about anything else?" the pinkette yelled.

"Uh… no? Kidding! But you know I'm right. Besides, sex is not a sin when made with responsibility and at least respect for each other. It's an important part of our life cycle, not to mention it is soooooo good…"

"INO! Look what you did, poor Hinata-chan passed out."

The blonde was rolling on the floor, laughing hard. "You should see your face! Hey, someone wake Hinata up!" Sakura did so, and the white-eyed girl was still recovering from her shock. "Hinata, why did you faint? Perhaps you know what I'm talking about, huh huh? Oh no, don't faint again!" Too late. "What has Kiba been doing to her? Anyway, I was just teasing. Even making out is too troublesome for Shika-kun, so I really believe I will die as a virgin."

"Seriously, let's change subject so Hinata-chan can join our conversation, ok? I heard there's a new delicatessen in Konoha. We could go there tomorrow!" Sakura suggested.

"Yay, good idea, Sakura!" Tenten smiled. "We could also go to…" and they resumed a good conversation until the sun was almost up.

_There goes my baby  
She knows how to Rock n' roll  
She drives me crazy  
She gives me hot and cold fever  
Then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat_

After the long wearing mission, Neji and his ANBU squad were on their way back to Konoha. In a normal pace, they would be still a week away from the village, but our favorite white-eyed boy couldn't wait anymore to get home and see the girl his heart ached for. So, he was running like crazy, ignoring his twisted ankle, his almost broken knee and the throbbing pain in his head. At that rhythm, they would arrive in three days, four at most. The other three squad members looked at each other, somewhat worried.

"Hyuuga-taichou is faster than normal. How he can even walk in his bad condition is beyond me. Nakamura, go talk to him!"

"Me? Why don't you go, Kanegawa?"

"I'll go." The fourth squad member said behind his dark glasses. He jumped beside Neji.

"I know you want to see her, but take it easy."

"Hn." 'Damn Aburame' hiding anything from Shino was a difficult task, for the boy was too observant.

"Think about the lecture she'll give you the moment she sees your legs like that because you didn't take care of yourself."

Yeah, he could hear her bossy I'm-the-doctor-so-obey-me speech. And he couldn't wait for that. But he couldn't make his squad run like there was no tomorrow just because he missed Sakura. Missions should be above that. He knew it, she knew it, and everyone knew it. Neji signaled for them to stop.

"Ok, guys, 20-minute break. We'll be home in a week."

Later that day, they stopped for the night. Just like every other night during that mission, he allowed himself to think freely about her – when he was in action, he painfully suppressed anything related to (could he call her that?) his girl. Sometimes he asked himself how that little kunoichi sneaked so deep into his heart. Of course, anyone would point out some reasons; she was beautiful, strong, highly skilled and kind. But she was not the only one with those qualities. Perhaps it was because she always pampered him only to make him feel better at the hospital, without trying to win his affection – which meant she cared for him as a person, not as an idol or a prized bachelor. Or would have she caught him by his stomach? He held back a laugh at this thought. But one thing he was sure of: she was real. She never did anything to impress him. She was always herself and, the most important thing, she had never been afraid of him. When most of the nurses and doctors (male and female) fainted at the sight of his glare, she had the guts to tell him what to do and not to do.

But his better guess was that Sakura was at the right place at the right time. Now, he looked back and saw that she was the most perfect person he could think for being _the one_. When they started to get closer to each other, though, he barely thought of her as a woman. When they did that little act to make Sasuke go away, he noticed how nice she fit between his arms. Being that close to a girl was not that bad after all. It was Sakura who he hugged, who he almost kissed, who cooked for him, took him to a party and said she would be waiting for him. If it had been another girl, perhaps he would have fallen for her. But luckily it was Sakura. It happened with her and he was glad about it.

And now, every second he wasn't busy he was thinking of her (you've seen this before!). As he thought of her, lots of questions popped on his mind. Would she be ok? What would she have done during this month? Would she really have waited for him? Then he remembered the look in her eyes when she said she would, and all his doubts evaporated just like that. A week never seemed so long…

_I gotta be cool relax, get hip  
Get on my track's  
Take a back seat, hitch-hike  
And take a long ride on my motor bike  
Until I'm ready  
Crazy little thing called love_

Time also dragged on back in Konoha. Sakura buried herself in work; otherwise, she would spend all her time by the gate, waiting for Neji. He should be back anytime now, but she chose to stay at the hospital. Working kept her sane, and she knew he would end up there. Some things never change. The days at the hospital were never the same. One day, there would be almost no work. The next day, five whole teams got back to Konoha heavily injured. The day after, she would have the average amount of patients. Excruciatingly slowly, the remaining two weeks passed by.

She just got out from a long surgery. It was the day Neji should be back and it was her day off. Was. Like usual, Tsunade called her to the hospital for an emergency. Goodbye silky hair and manicured nails. She wouldn't have time to be beautiful for him. But saving lives was more important and he would have to understand it. Right now, her hair was a wild mess, her vests were far from pristine and she had blood all over her.

* * *

Finally Neji saw Konoha's main gates. A week ago, his legs were in a bad shape; now, they were just unbearable. Normally he would ignore it and go home, unless someone dragged him to the hospital. This time it was different. He still didn't like that place, but at least he knew Sakura was there. She would heal his body with her powerful yet soothing chakra and his heart with her angelic smile. She made everything worth it.

And there she was. She was covered in blood and looked tired, but to his eyes she was as beautiful as ever (CHEESY!!!). Now he wished he had taken better care of himself as she told him. Knowing her, she would do anything to heal him in no time, and he felt a little guilty. She was already tired and he wouldn't make her any better. But then his eyes met hers, and all he could see was that wide smile running towards him. She threw herself to him, hugging his neck tightly enough to make him stay and softly enough to let him breathe. He ignored the extreme pain in his legs and put his arms around her slim waist, holding her so she wouldn't fall – her feet weren't touching the ground. Then she remembered where they were. She got back to her feet and looked at him. With doctor eyes.

"Hyuuga Neji, I thought I told you to take care of yourself."

"And I did."

"Oh really? So why are your legs like that?"

"It could have been worse. See, I have no cuts or gashes, and I'm even conscious. Give me some credit here!"

She sighed in defeat. He did have a point. "Ok then. Now be the perfect patient and come with me, let's get you healed!" They walked into an empty room. Sakura made him lay down on the bed and looked carefully at his legs.

"This knee is pretty bad. One more day walking and I doubt I could heal it. Your ankle, even not as critical, is not in a good shape either. Now take off your shirt." He wasn't waiting for that. She crossed her arms in front of her.

"You've been away for a month, and now you're right in front of me. Get it off so I can have my way with you." He opened his mouth to say something but she was faster. "Just do it, Neji! I know you're all bruised. Take it off or I'll do it myself."

"Tempting…" she glared at him. "Ok, now we're doctor and patient. Sorry." He knew she took her job very seriously. Better do what she told. And in no time his shirt was gone.

"What would you do without me, huh?" she put her hands above his chest, healing those huge bruises very quickly. She did the same to his abdomen. "Much better! Now, the knee. It might hurt, but I know you can take it." And it did hurt, but the pain slowly faded. She wasn't one of the best for nothing. Next, she healed his ankle. "Do you feel any pain? Head, chest, arms, legs…?" He shook his head. "Good! You're free to go. Bye!" Without waiting for an answer, she got out of the room, closing the door behind her.

'What the…?'

His thought was interrupted by the door being opened. "Sakura…?"

"Neji!" She walked to him and hugged him tenderly. "I missed you so bad! This was the longest month in my whole life!" Sakura said against his neck; her hot breath made him shiver.

"I missed you too, Sakura."

"I see you have no injuries… Are you here to see me? How sweet of you!" she winked at him. Now he got it; since he wasn't a patient anymore, she wasn't supposed to act as his doctor. He hugged her back.

"See? I kept my promise and came back to you."

"I had no doubt about that. And I kept mine; I waited for you. But waiting is not good, you know? I mean, being without you is not easy but you're so worthy waiting for!" she let go of his neck and sat beside him, smile never leaving her face.

"And Neji, I hope the shirt I stole from your bag wasn't really necessary." She giggled and ran her hand through his face. How he missed this…

"It wasn't. But why did you get it in the first place?"

"I thought it would help me sleep while you were away."

"Did it?"

"Yes. It helped a lot. In fact, I don't think I'm giving it back to you any time soon." She winked, he faked a frown.

"Don't be mad at me, Neji! It's for a good cause. My sleepless self is a real bitch." He mentally agreed, but thought it was safer to say nothing. Bulls-eye. "Anyway, my shift is far from its end and I know you must be tired and dying for a good bath. Go home and rest; I'll do the same, and tomorrow we can be together."

"Sounds like a plan." Was it just him or she was already thinking of them as a real couple? That was a very good sign. Still, they had to talk about it, about them. 'And tomorrow will be the day.' Neji got up from the bed, his legs felt like new. "Sakura, if you see my favorite doctor, tell her that she did an amazing job here, ok?" She smiled at him; he took her right hand and kissed it. "See you tomorrow, then. Be ready at 9."

_This thing called love I just can't handle it  
This__ thing called love I must get round to it  
I ain't ready  
Crazy little thing called love_

True to his word, Neji knocked on her door at 9 AM sharp. He heard nothing, so he knocked again. Finally he heard a muffled 'coming'. When Sakura opened her door, she was still in her pajamas.

"Neji, I'm so sorry! I overslept… There was another emergency; I came home almost at 4!"She yawned and let him in.

"Do you want me to come back later?"

"No way! Let me just take a shower, it won't take too long. Make yourself comfortable." He sat on the couch as she trudged to her bathroom.

'Does she think I'll let her get out without eating?' While she was on the shower, he walked to her kitchen and made her some miso soup (it was a Japanese style breakfast, so no unhealthy food like eggs with bacon). He thought she would take at least an hour to get ready. Much to his surprise, she took 'only' 40 minutes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" she said from her room. "Why do I smell miso soup?"

"I made you some. Come before it gets too cold."

In less than a minute she entered the kitchen, clad in a light purple silk robe. Now that she was fully awake, she noticed how hungry she was. "Neji, you're a life saver. This soup should be enough until lunch. By the way, you look very good in dark green." Or in any other color. "Itadakimasu!"

After she ate, she changed and got ready to leave. She chose a royal blue long coat over a white sweater and a pair of jeans. Not too fancy and not too sloppy. "Shall we go?" he nodded and got up, following her to the door. "Where are we going today?" she asked while locking her apartment.

"After lunch, I thought we could go to the movies. But before lunch… What would you like to do?" they started walking; their hands found each other quickly.

"Hm… We could go ice skating! What do you think?" He didn't answer. "Neji, have you ever ice skated before?"

No. "Of course yes. Piece of cake."

"Sure? Ok then!" She didn't believe him, though, but she knew he was shy to admit it. They still had a long path ahead of them before they could admit anything freely.

Soon they reached a small frozen lake. Sakura knocked tentatively on the ice and saw it was thick enough. 'He doesn't know how to skate. I'll discreetly show him.' She focused chakra on her feet and started skating. He would have time to see what she was doing, using his Byakugan. And so did him. He deactivated his bloodline limit before she turned to him. "Come, Neji!" When he was getting close to her, she ran away. "Catch me if you can!" They started a little tag game. For someone who never skated before, Neji was very good at it. But Sakura was a pro, so she managed to run away easily from him. Finally she got tired. Panting lightly, she stepped out of the ice and sat down behind a leafless tree. He followed her and sat by her side. She hooked her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder. They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying each other's presence and warmth. Finally she broke the silence.

"I'm so happy when I'm with you."

He shifted from his position so he could face her. Neji looked deep into her jade eyes, and then he saw everything. Her feelings were flashing as if they were written in neon letters. He caressed her cheek and smiled. That kind of smile that made him drop-dead-gorgeous-times-ten. She knew how he felt about her, and he knew she knew. Now he knew how she felt about him, and she knew he knew. Why spoil the moment with words?

They kept looking at each other for a long time. But eventually they had to get up. Although it was almost noon, it was getting really cold. They silent agreed it was lunch time and headed back downtown.

"So, where are we eating, Neji?" she asked with a smile, but her stomach was growling inside her, demanding to be fed.

"Sakura, have you ever eaten fondue?"

"No… But I heard it's delicious. It's a kind of shabu-shabu, right?"

"Yeah, sort of. Come, I know the place with the best fondue in Konoha."

Indeed it was delicious. Sakura managed to convince Neji to eat chocolate fondue. He thought it was too sweet for his liking, but she loved and that's what mattered to him. Following the plan, after lunch they went to the movies.

"Neji, can we watch this?" She pointed to one of the movies.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm curious about it. Everyone says _Ringu_ is scary, I wanna see if it's true." (A/N: Ringu is the original Japanese movie on which The Ring was based; it is way scarier than its remake). Neji shrugged and complied.

An hour and half after…

Neji had his same stoic face. Sakura, however, was completely in shock. In an optimistic point of view.

"Hey, are you all right?" Really. She couldn't be overreacting to that silly movie.

"I won't be able to sleep tonight. In fact, I don't think I'll be able to sleep ever again." Ok, perhaps she was.

"You know it's just a movie, right? It won't happen in real life."

"I know. But what if it happens?"

"Then I'll be there to protect you. Happy?"

"Not quite. But thanks…"

He sighed. "Hn. Let's take a walk. I'll take you to a place that will cheer you up." She nodded, letting him guide her.

The walk actually helped her to calm down. His presence was powerful enough to blur everything else. Slowly they followed a path she had never seen before. She looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. Soon their steps echoed on a wooden floor. They were crossing a small bridge, way smaller than the bridge where Team 7 used to meet. There was no one else around, since this bridge led only to the Hyuuga compound. The sun was starting to set, so the sky was slightly red. That bridge was over a tiny stream full of stones. There were some pine trees along the stream, making that bridge look like a fairy tale scenario.

"Neji, it's beautiful! I didn't know this path to your house."

"It's almost Hyuuga-exclusive. The other way is shorter and does not lead to a dead end like this, so everyone who has business with us goes by there."

"Thank you for bringing me here. It means a lot… Now I know one more thing about you." Still holding his hand, Sakura sat on the guardrail, her feet dangling a few inches above the floor. She was looking at the sunset and he was looking at her. The dying light made her eyes look a darker shade of green, which took the touch of childishness of them. Not that he didn't like her eyes before, but now they had a mysterious thing, and he couldn't help but stare.

She turned her head to say something about how beautiful the sky was when she saw the intense look in his eyes. Those white orbs hypnotized her and all of a sudden there was nothing else around. Without even thinking she raised her left hand to cup his cheek. He leaned in to her touch as his arms reached out to her, his right arm on the small of her back and his left one around her shoulders. They never broke eye contact as their faces approached each other in a very slow movement. He could see himself on her black pupils. Neji looked for any sign of rejection. Obviously he found none. He could feel her warm breath. He knew they were close, so close, too close…

The moment she close her eyes she felt the soft skin of his lips on hers. It started as a feather-light kiss, but she wanted more, needed more and deserved more. By instinct Sakura slightly parted her lips; Neji felt it and did the same thing. Their tongues naturally found each other in a slow, silken dance. There was no rush, no fight for dominance, only their calm yet passionate kiss. Her hands traveled to the back of his neck, gently bringing him even closer. He tightened his grip around her. She let out a soft moan; his slow kiss was, in fact, very sexy. The air was cold, as it was still winter, but all they felt was each other's warmth involving them. The kiss seemed to have no end and deep inside the pink-haired girl wished it didn't. But it eventually ended, leaving them both panting lightly.

He let go of her and grabbed her both hands, brought them to his mouth and kissed every knuckle and fingertip. Then he smiled at her. "You just made me the happiest man alive. Be my girl and make me even happier." She smiled back at him.

"I already am… Since that party, actually. Didn't you notice?"

"I thought so but I had to hear you say it. Because since then I was yours, too."

"Neji…" Her heart was jumping inside her ribcage. She knew it wasn't a dream because even dreams were not that good. She pulled him for another mind melting, slow, loving, breathtaking kiss. Now she was glad she waited that long before doing that. She was sure of their feelings for each other and it made their relationship taste even better.

"Sakura… I have to ask you something."

"Name it."

"Hmmm… As much as I'm enjoying this moment, from now on we have to be discreet. First, I don't like people gossiping about me. My privacy is something I really care about. And my family is hyper traditional."

"Do you want us to be a secret, then?"

"Absolutely not! I just don't want to scandalize my family, that's all. I'm sure they will be happy to know we're together. They'll love you." 'But not as much as I do.'

"Ok. Only if you promise I will get private displays of affection."

"That's the best promise I'm gonna ever make." He gave her a chaste kiss on her lips, caressing her pink locks. "For you, and for you only, I will show you how passionate I can be."

"Lucky me, then…"

"Lucky you indeed." She punched him lightly on the arm while giggling. "Hungry?"

"Actually I am!"

"Good. We're close to home. Have dinner with us today! I'll introduce you as my girlfriend, since they already know you as our top medic."

It was almost dark now, but Neji saw that Sakura paled. "Don't be afraid of them. I'm the most deadly Hyuuga and I'm on your side, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, I bet five inches of my hair that Inuzuka will be there, too. They will be too focused on him, because he's an outsider dating a Hyuuga woman, to bug you."

"If you say so…" she got down from the guardrail and stood in front of him. He gave her one last passionate kiss before they left for the Hyuuga compound. They were almost there when she broke their comfortable silence.

"Neji…" her eyes were screaming what she didn't dare to say out loud, for words were too imperfect to express her feelings. And she knew he didn't need those little three words. She didn't need them either. They had each other and it was more than enough.

He smiled. "Me too."


	7. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

A/N: Phew, that took a really long time! But finally chapter 7 is up. Getting them together was relatively easy. But describing an actual relationship is a whole different thing! I hope you like this chapter. It is longer than the others; it's a way to make it up to you all for the waiting!

* * *

**Chapter 7. ****Good old fashioned lover boy**

_I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things  
We can do the tango just for two  
I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings  
Be your valentino just for you_

Still holding hands, Sakura and Neji reached the side gates of the impressive Hyuuga compound. The medic-nin had been there countless times before, but this time things would be different. Before, she was Hinata's friend and one of Konoha's top medics. Now, she was officially together with the prodigy of that clan and she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. How would they react now that the two teens were together? Neji said it would be all right, and, since he knew his family, he was probably right. Still, she wasn't one hundred percent sure yet.

"Sakura," he stopped, making her stop too "there's something I have to tell you before we get in there. I'm afraid it may scare you a bit, though…"

"Don't tell me that when the moon is full you become a werewolf."

He choked on his own saliva, chuckling and coughing at the same time. "Only you to make me laugh… Of course I'm not a werewolf."

"Then it can't be that bad!" she smiled, squeezing his hand lightly.

'She's right' he thought. "You know how I feel about you, right?" She nodded. "And I know you feel the same way." Again she nodded, her cheeks getting a little red. "You should know that the family will be asking when we're going to get married. That's because-"

"I know," she cut him "that's because we're not exactly dating. Hyuugas don't date; they court." he widened his eyes.

"What, Neji? I already knew that. Why did you think it would scare me?"

"Because you're only seventeen and we're talking about marriage? By the way, you know that it's what courting means, right?"

"Of course I do. And believe me; I like the idea very much." She said with a charming wink.

"Good." He was relieved. He didn't doubt her feelings, but talking about marriage that soon in a relationship was not a normal thing. Except in the Hyuuga clan. "By the way, how did you know?"

"Tenten gave me some hints but I figured it out by myself. It is very flattering, you know…"

"Really? Why?"

"Because I am _the__one_ in your life! You never really got involved to a girl, and now you're making this big commitment to me. Which means that one day we'll get married, isn't it great?" A little too rushed? Perhaps, but who can condemn a seventeen-year old teenager girl for being a romantic dreamer? (A/N: something similar happened to me, so it's not impossible!)

"I need you to know that it doesn't have to be tomorrow, next month or even next year, Sakura. After all, we're still teenagers."

"Yeah, I agree. But I still expect a proper proposal when the time comes, ok?"

"I would never deny you that. Now come, we must not get late."

Neji was right about his family. Sakura felt uncountable pairs of white eyes on her as soon as the young couple entered the huge dining room. She wasn't expecting that many people!

"Neji," she whispered "does your whole family eat together all the time?"

"No; usually the family cells eat in their own houses. However, sometimes they like to get together here in the head house. Lucky you, you'll meet all of them at once!"

'Lucky me?' She was panicking. How in the world would she remember the names of all those look-alike Hyuugas? She knew some of them from her previous visits, but that family was way too big. Luckily there were some 'outsiders' like her and Kiba – who was there, too, much to her relief. When the dog boy and Hinata saw them together, they smiled at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Neji, Sakura-san, welcome home. Please take your seats, so we can get started." The deep voice that belonged to the clan leader, Hyuuga Hiashi, echoed through the room. The young couple bowed and did as they were told. Sakura sat down beside Kiba and Neji between her and an older cousin.

The dinner went on pretty calm. The food, the best dishes from traditional Japanese cuisine, was nothing less than scrumptious. Several pairs of white eyes looked intently at her every once in a while, although nobody said a thing about her being with their genius. 'Perhaps they already knew? Hyuugas are smart, and maybe Hinata-chan slipped a hint about us… But I'm glad they're not bombarding me with questions – yet. I would not like to stop eating this wonderful meal in order to answer them' she thought, while chewing a shrimp.

"Hey, Sakura" Kiba whispered while they were eating dessert "you're so lucky! When I first came here as Hinata's boyfriend, they literally interrogated me for hours. They asked every kind of question, every kind! Even the most embarrassing ones. I bet they're going easy on you because you're a girl…"

"Or because they're afraid of what Neji-niisan could do to protect Sakura-chan" Hinata pointed out. Kiba chuckled, Sakura reddened and Neji pretended he didn't hear that. But it was somewhat true.

Finally everyone stopped eating. Most of the Hyuuga members were already gone. The ones remaining in the room were Hiashi, his daughters and Neji, as well as Sakura and Kiba. The clan leader motioned them to go to the room next door, which seemed to be Hiashi's private living room.

"So, Sakura-san" the older man started "I see you and my nephew are together now."

"Hai, Hiashi-sama." Her cheeks got pink, but she had a huge smile adorning her lips. Neji was caressing her hand with his thumb, in an attempt to calm her down. He knew she was a bit nervous, even though there was no reason to be.

"That's good. Welcome to the family, then. I'm sure Neji already told you the way our family acts when it comes to relationships."

"He did. I must say I'm honored."

"So are we." All of them looked at Hiashi with big question marks in their eyes. "Well, Sakura-san, everyone in Konoha knows that you are a top kunoichi. You have super strength, perfect chakra control and powerful healing power. Don't be offended, but I was thinking about a way to bring you into our family. Luckily you came to us on your own, thanks to Neji. I think you're really suited for each other."

"Th-thank you, Hiashi-sama! That's very kind of you."

"I'm telling the truth. Now, if you excuse me, I have some business to take care of."

After he left, Sakura sighed in relief. "Neji, you were right. I survived!" They all laughed.

_Ooh love - ooh lover__ boy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey boy  
Set my alarm, turn on my charm  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy_

It has been a week since they got officially together. Anyone could see the happiness in the eyes of the young couple. Sakura, who was naturally cheerful, now seemed to be floating all the time. Even Neji showed a few signs of emotion. His face was cool like always, but his eyes betrayed his feelings every time he looked at his pink-haired girlfriend. True to his word, he never showed his passionate self in public. This did not stop him from walking hand in hand with her all the time. He knew she liked it; it was also a gesture of possessiveness, although he would never put it that way. He just wanted to show everyone what he was most proud of.

When their relationship got public, their friends were not surprised. Actually, most of their friends. Naruto, oblivious as usual, saw them together and was speechless for almost five minutes – which was a record for the always talkative boy. And Sasuke was still convincing himself that she was doing it only to make him jealous, and that it would not, never, not in a million years, work.

A crow flew through the sky. AHO! AHO!

But the worst reaction came from Neji's huge fan club. When his crazy fan girls (and some of the fan boys too) knew he was dating someone, they set a camp in front of the Hyuuga compound's main entrance. A few girls said they wouldn't eat until he got single again. The ANBU captain could care less about what that bunch of nuisances were doing. But, this time, they got a little too far. They were disturbing his family, his home, and that was just unacceptable.

"I should just go there and Kaiten those idiots away from here." Neji said with a big frown.

"So why don't you?" Kiba said with a wolfish grin. That would be really amusing!

'Inuzuka is right' he thought. He looked at his cousin-to-be and the boys nodded at each other, walking towards the main entrance. However, they were stopped by two small yet strong hands. The look Sakura gave them said something like 'don't go there or else!'

"Let me handle this" she said plainly and knew she would be obeyed. She let go of them and headed outside.

"Neji, she is so killing everyone! We should keep an eye on her. Come on, let's go!" the two boys stealthily followed Sakura.

The kunoichi opened the gates and stood in front of the crowd. She might be petite, but she was highly respected – and sometimes feared – by the people of Konoha. Her face was calm, but still Neji's fan club was apprehensive.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I see that yo-"

"Sakura-sensei, why are you here? Is Neji-kun hurt, or ill? Please tell us!" a hazel-haired girl interrupted her.

"Yeah, tell us! So we can take care of him!" another fan girl added. Soon all the girls (and the boys) started talking at the same time. Sakura could only hear sparse words, like 'Neji-kun', 'love' and 'that bitch'. Back in the Hyuuga compound, Kiba was trying his best to hold his laughter; he didn't want to blow their cover. Neji was scowling.

"Oi!" Sakura said, trying to hush the mob. "OI!" They were still making uproar. She sighed, and stomped her left foot on the ground, creating a mini earthquake. Now it was quiet. She smiled at them as if nothing was happening.

"Thank you for your attention! Well, I have to ask you to kindly go away from here and mind your own business. Ok?"

"No! We won't get out of here until Neji-kun breaks up with that_girlfriend_ of his." The same hazel-haired girl spoke. Sakura thought she was sort of the leader of the mob.

"First," she ignored the girl "you're harassing the Hyuuga family. You can be arrested for that, you know. Second, I see that many of you are shinobi. You should be training or doing missions instead of wasting your – and our – time here. And third, why do you even insist?"

"He never told he didn't want us around."

"Maybe he never told it because he was ignoring you all. Now, will you please leave the Hyuugas in peace? I'm asking it nicely, so you better do it."

"Never. We'll never leave. Neji-kun, we love you! Come back to us!"

Sakura was not known for her patience. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists; it was going way too far. "Stop chasing after MY boyfriend. Is that clear?" Glaring at those stupid people, she started gathering chakra in her hand… All of them flinched. Of course she wouldn't hurt those people, but she knew she could be very intimidating.

"Well, we could never compete against Sakura-sensei" a brunette girl said. "If she is Neji-kun's girlfriend, then we should-"

"Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Come on, Sakura-sensei! Do you really want us to believe that you, the traitor's number one fan girl, are actually with _our_ Neji-kun? I must say I almost bought it, but it is just so impossible!" that same hazel-haired girl, again.

Sakura only smirked.

"Neji! This is when Sakura goes wild. Now she _will_ kill everyone there. Do something!" Kiba was worried. Being the target of the pink-haired kunoichi fury meant a lot of pain – if you were lucky.

"She won't. Trust her."

"You should listen to your friend" the medic-nin replied calmly, as if nothing was happening. "Go home. If you go away now, I will pretend that nothing happened here."

"What if we don't?" guess who.

"I was in need of a good sparring session, you know. Maybe you guys can be useful. Actually, you can all stay. This will be so great!" she cracked her fingers and put on her gloves. "Ready?" her right hand was surrounded by a blue aura. "SHANNARO!!!"

It was like magic. In two seconds, no one was there to be seen.

"We won't give up!" some random fan girl shouted form far away.

"Then keep sending chocolates, I love them!" Sakura retorted.

"Girl, that was amazing! For a moment, I thought you would slaughter everyone." Kiba got out of his hiding place; Neji followed him.

"Heh, maybe I should have. But I would be sent to jail; it's not worthy."

She laughed, but didn't miss the proud look in her boyfriend's eyes.

_Ooh let me feel your heartbeat (Grow faster, faster)  
Ooh ooh can you feel my love heat  
Come on and sit on my hot-seat of love  
And tell me how do you feel right after-all  
I'd like for you and I to go romancing  
Say the word - your wish is my command_

February 12. It meant that Valentine's Day would be in two days! Neji was laying on his futon, looking at the ceiling, trying to think of what he would give Sakura. Traditionally, she was the one supposed to give him chocolate. Then, one month later, at White Day, he should give her white chocolate. He had received tons of chocolate from his fans, but never returned them. Not even by courtesy. And since Sakura was not a regular girl, he thought it would be ok to go against the tradition. She was so lovely and warm and sweet and perfect… That would be their first Valentine's Day together and he wanted to make it special. What would make her happy?

"Hello, handsome!" her cheerful voice filled his bedroom. "I must confess I wasn't expecting you to be actually resting." She sat on her knees beside him.

"You told me to take better care of myself. That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm being a good boy; don't I deserve at least a kiss?"

"I was getting there!" she bent down and their lips touched. When she was breaking the kiss, he smirked and brought her closer, encaging her with his arms.

"Hmmm, that's better" he said huskily, after a few moments of heated making out. "You are the best medicine I could ever get, you know?"

"Of course I am! That's why you never let any other doctor or nurse get near you. You always knew you needed me, even unconsciously!" she winked playfully. "Oh! Before I forget, I have wonderful news!"

"Yeah? And what is it?"

"Well, you are still recovering from your last mission, right? Since you had some lung injuries, it would be better to be in a place where the air pressure is lower. Do you know where the pressure is lighter? In the mountains! This morning I was telling Tsunade-shishou that you needed to go to the mountains, and your uncle overheard it. He told us that the Hyuugas have a nice and cozy house in the mountains and that you could stay there until you're fully recovered. Shishou liked the idea, saying that one of our best assets should get the best treatment available!" Sakura stopped; she needed to breathe.

'The best treatment available?' he thought. 'Then it should include our top doctor, which means that-'

"So, she said I should be the one taking care of you! Isn't it great? We're going to the mountains until you're fully healed! Isn't it great?" she repeated the question, squealing and clapping her hands.

Great? Taking a vacation in a romantic place with the one he loved? Great was a huge understatement. "That's just perfect! When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow. I would go today, but my shift isn't over yet. Yes, I ran away from there because I just had to tell you that! By the way, Hinata-chan and Kiba are going, too."

"That's good. This way I can keep an eye on that Inuzuka."

"I thought you liked him!"

"He's ok. But I must take care of Hinata-sama in the first place."

"Neji, she's not a child anymore!"

"I know. Still…"

"Ok, whatever. I have to go now. Don't you get out of this futon! I'll be here later to help you pack up your things."

"Yes, commander."

She punched him playfully. "I mean it! You should rest today because of our trip tomorrow. You are strong but not immortal. Understood?"

"Crystal clear. Do you want to have dinner with me?"

"I'd love to! I'll be here around 8 p.m. See ya!" she kissed him and left. And he already missed her.

'She is truly amazing. To think that she'll be mine and mine only for some time… No hospital, no shifts, no Hokage-sama, no Naruto, no Ino, nothing will get her away from me. I won't be able to go to any missions while there, but Sakura makes everything worthwhile. Now I really have to get something perfect for her. But what could it be? And to make things worst, if she finds out that I left my futon, she'll give me an unforgettable earful.'

"Gah! What should I do?" His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on his door.

"Neji-niisan? May I come in?" he heard Hinata's voice outside his room.

"Sure." The Hyuuga heiress opened the shoji door and sat beside her cousin. "What can I do for you, Hinata-sama?"

"I just met Sakura-chan; she told me you already know the news! And, knowing you, I'm sure you're dying to get out of here and buy her something über special! Isn't it?"

'I can't believe it. She IS a mind reader.' "Indeed. But Sakura told me to stay."

"And you're actually doing as she said? Then you must really love her."

That, or sometimes her temper scared him to death.

"Anyway, I'm here to help you."

"Thank you. I'm really clueless about what to give her."

"Hmmm" she put a finger on her chin, deep in thoughts. "Since you can't go out shopping, you can either make something or find something here."

Make something? Impossible. Neji was highly skilled as a shinobi, but he was not a craftsman. He could write Sakura a card, but it surely wouldn't be enough. And he lived alone in that house. This meant that there were only manly things there. (A little explanation here. In this story, the Hyuuga estate is composed by several houses. Each family cell – husband, wife and kids – lived in one house, and the clan leader's family lives in the bigger one. Since Neji has no siblings and living parents, he lives alone now.) If only his mother was there to help him…

"That's it!" he smacked his right fist against his left palm, startling Hinata a bit. "Mother and grandmother had a lot of girly stuff; they're in a box somewhere here. How could I forget that?" He sat up on the futon. "Byakugan!"

Scanning his house he quickly found what he was looking for. The box was well hidden in an old storage room, which he never opened. "This will be like an archaeological expedition. Do you want to join me?"

"Yes! I will help you choose something nice for Sakura-chan."

He opened the door and turned the light on. Lots of old stuff covered with years of dust were everywhere. He saw a white crib, with some toys inside, that must have been his when he was a baby. Three broken fishing rods. A medium-sized box with PHOTOS written on it. 'That must be interesting. I'm taking this with me, in case we get bored.' Some old style crystal glasses, every size and shape. Old stuff in general.

"I found it!" Hinata was holding the box they were looking for.

"Let's get out of here. This dust is unhealthy." His nose was itching; Neji was somewhat allergic to dust. They went to the living room and put the box on the coffee table.

"Open it!" she softly told him. And so he did. They both bent over the box, looking at its content. Bling bling.

"I remember this!" Neji said, holding a golden bracelet. "My mother loved this one."

"I can see why; it's really beautiful." She smiled and grabbed a silver tiara incrusted with amethysts. "Wow, looks like it belonged to a princess!"

"Look at this pearl necklace. I'm sure it belonged to my grandmother. My mother never used pearls because she said they looked like Hyuuga eyes."

"That makes sense. Hey, take a look at those ruby earrings! They would look lovely on Sakura-chan!"

"Indeed. But I was looking for something that matched her eyes… Like this." Hinata widened her eyes.

"That's just… Perfect! I'm sure she will love it. But it needs a good cleaning. We should take this to a pro! Scratch that. _I_ will take it to a pro. You will stay here, safe and sound."

"Thank you, Hinata-sama."

"You're welcome! Well, I should be going then. Bye!"

She left and Neji got back to his bedroom. He was a bit anxious; he was sure Sakura would love his gift, but he just couldn't wait to see her face. Her lovely smile was the best reward he could get. She should be back in a few hours, so he decided to take a nap.

_Ooh love - ooh lover boy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey boy  
Write my letter  
Feel much better  
And use my fancy patter on the telephone_

"Neji? I'm coming in!" Sakura opened the shoji door and found Neji already up and dressed. "Awn, I had the slightest hope you would still be in your sleeping clothes" she giggled lightly.

"That can be arranged." He started to unbutton his shirt. Sakura got beet red.

"Neji!!! I was just kidding!"

'**No you weren't! Why did you stop him, baka?'**

'You are so shameless…'

'**Me? As if I was the only one undressing him with the eyes…'**

'What?'

'**You heard me! I know you just loooove his muscular chest… His toned arms… His six-pack abs… Hahahahaha you're drooling!'**

'I'm not!'

"Oi, Sakura! Why are you drooling?"

"It's not because of your muscular chest and your toned arms and your six-pack abs!" she blurted, without even thinking. Then she saw his smirk. And realization hit her. "I just said it out loud, ne?" She covered her face, really embarrassed. "Bah, blame me for having a hot boyfriend!"

"So you think I'm hot, huh?" bad, bad Neji! Teasing Sakura just for the kicks!

"Stop it! You're making fun of me." She pouted, her face still red.

"Ok, ok, sorry" he kissed her pouting lips and embraced her. "Have you eaten something?"

"Yeah, I woke up early, too. We should get going; Hinata-chan and Kiba are already waiting for us."

* * *

"Finally!" Kiba said as soon as they got into the big but cozy Hyuuga mountain house. "I was about to go crazy! What a long trip, ne?"

"Hn. I would've gone faster, but _someone_ threatened to kill me if I didn't take it easy."

"Shut up! It's for your own good. And remember, you have to do everything as I say. Otherwise you won't get better and won't be assigned to any missions!"

"Hey, emotional blackmail is not right!" Neji crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sakura stuck her tongue out.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving! We should get something to eat." Hinata said softly, trying to change subject.

"Who's gonna cook, Hinata-chan? Should we decide on jankenpo?" the medic-nin asked.

"That won't be necessary. Father asked Ayumi-san, Koushi-san and Hitomi-san to come here and help us as long as we're staying." The white-eyed girl replied.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's eat!" Kiba said, heading to the kitchen. The other three followed. There was a warm smell of food in the air, which awoke their stomachs. "What is this smell? Udon?" he asked.

Sakura, already inside the kitchen, nodded at him. "Dog boy, your nose is truly amazing! It is udon, and it's begging to be eaten before it gets cold. Kids, don't forget to wash your hands before!" All of the laughed – and washed their hands before eating.

_When I'm not with you  
I think of you always  
(I miss those long hot summer nights)  
I miss you  
When I'm not with you  
Think of me always  
Love you – love you_

Valentine's day. Neji wanted to make that day perfect for Sakura. He got up before everyone – well, he would have done that anyway, but still he had a different purpose – and went to the kitchen. There, he got a tray and put a pristine white cloth over it. He then placed two porcelain cups, a small jar with hot jasmine tea, a bowl of strawberries and raspberries, a plate full of freshly made madeleines, a plate with toasts, a plate with sliced Gouda cheese, a pot of blackberry jam, some napkins and a slim porcelain vase with pink primroses. It would never be his choice for a breakfast, but he knew _she_ would love it.

The ANBU captain knocked lightly on her door. He didn't want to walk into her bedroom and find her naked or something like that. It would totally ruin the day, if not their whole 'vacations'. But he heard no answer; she was probably asleep, as the sun was barely up. He knocked a little harder.

"Sakura?"

"Hmmm?" he heard her sleepy voice and felt a little guilty for waking her up. But he was way too anxious to be with her.

Wait a second. He gave in to his anxiety? That easily?

Boy, he surely loved that girl.

"It's me, koishii!"

"Neji? Come in. Is there" she yawned "something wrong?"

"No." He opened the shoji door with his foot, since he was carrying the tray. "Happy Valentine's day!" Her eyes were still red from sleep, her face was crinkled and her hair was disheveled. And, to his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

She rubbed her eyes. "Am I still sleeping or you are really bringing me breakfast?"

"Why would it be a dream?"

"Too good to be true?" she smiled, while he opened the tray so it became a small table. He put the breakfast in front of her and sat across of his girlfriend.

"Anything for my beautiful Sakura."

Her smile widened. "You're so sweet! When I first met you, I had a whole different impression of you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if you remember… It happened right before our first chuunin exam. We were trapped in a genjutsu, and Lee asked me out – poor guy, I was so mean back then!"

"Of course I remember. Since our first day as Team Gai, Lee wouldn't stop talking about some Sakura-san and how beautiful and sweet and kind and youthful she was. That day I found out who that Sakura was."

"So you noticed me there!"

"I'm always aware of my surroundings."

"Anyway, the way you behave made me think you were an arrogant ass."

"You weren't wrong. I was an arrogant ass."

"What did you think about me?"

"To be honest, not much. You noticed the genjutsu, so I saw you were smart. But you seemed weak, and I didn't pay attention on you." He was tactful enough to leave Sasuke out of that conversation.

"And we ended up together… The arrogant ass and the whining weakling. What a couple!"

"Well, I think we are pretty well suited for each other. And this breakfast is getting cold, we should eat it soon!"

Sakura smiled and nodded. Only now she took a look at the table in front of her. Her eyes traveled through the food and stopped on the flowers. She widened her eyes and looked at her boyfriend.

"Primroses!"

"I see you know their meaning." (A/N: primroses mean 'you are my life').

"I'm amazed to see _you_ know that! Oh Neji, how touchy! You're the best" she leaned in and kissed him chastely on the lips.

The rest of the day went out smoothly. Neji and Sakura joined Hinata and Kiba in a friendly championship of indoor games – table tennis, snooker, canasta and Monopoly. At night, they decided to go out to dinner in a double date.

"There's a village nearby called Murayama. Koushi-san can drive us there, since it's too cold and dark to go walking." Hinata said.

"Murayama? Are you sure?" Sakura asked.

"Is there any problem, Sakura-chan?"

"No, not at all. It's just that… well, my parents live in Murayama. I didn't realize we were close to it."

"Do you want to visit them?" Neji suggested.

"Of course! But not tonight. I'll call them later and tell we're here. We could go lunch with them, what do you think?"

"I would be honored." The white-eyed man answered. Then Koushi called the four teens, saying that he was ready to take them downtown.

After dinner…

"I swear, I love my Jacuzzi to no end, but having a private onsen is just SO PERFECT!!!" Sakura sighed contently, welcoming the comforting feeling that the hot water gave her.

"I knew you would like it" Neji said, trying his best to pretend he wasn't alone with his girlfriend, late at night, enjoying a good warm bath. Together. In the same pool – there was only one, so men and women should bathe together. Obviously they were wearing swimsuits, but still…

She slowly approached him, hugged his neck and looked straight into his eyes. "Neji…" the way she said his name sent a shiver up and down his spine. The girl was too close to him, clad in almost nothing, her cheeks red because of the heat… He couldn't hold back his hands to hold her slim waist. "If I asked you something, would you do it for me?"

What was she thinking? He got a bit anxious. His heart was beating faster. "Name it and it's done."

"Tell me what you do in your hair. I know there's a secret! It can't be only Hyuuga genes."

He was somewhat relieved. For one second, he thought… "Ok, then. But you can't tell anyone! Understand that sharing this secret is a big form of commitment."

"Thank you!" she hugged him tightly. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

The feeling of her skin against his made his blood boil. He was courteous and he would never try anything without her consent, but he was still a human, a male teenager, and his hormones were more powerful than he wanted. Neji broke the hug before anything improper happened.

"Listen carefully. This technique is not hard, but when done the wrong way it can be dangerous. Basically you will use chakra while washing your hair."

"That's it?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup."

"Amazing. It's simple, yet I would've never thought about it. Show me!"

"You have to create little chakra brushes in your hands. Like this." He put his hand in front of her and pumped chakra to it, making a lot of tiny strings come out of his fingers. "Your turn."

She did the same thing and, with her perfect chakra control, her hand was just like his.

"Excellent. Since it's your first time using the technique, I will wash your hair, so you'll know how it feels. Be careful; too much chakra will burn your hair!"

"Eek! That can't happen!"

"Hold still." He positioned himself behind her and put his both hands on her hair. Neji silently activated his Byakugan; he wanted to see how her chakra system would react to his chakra getting into it. At first, it seemed disturbed, but in no time her body accepted the little intake of foreign chakra eagerly. It made him think about other situations where he could use his chakra on her – and he mentally slapped himself for having improper thoughts.

"Mmmm, it feels so good!" Sakura moaned softly and it was like music to his ears. His light chakra enhanced massage was very relaxing and she was enjoying it.

"Ok, I'm done. Your short hair makes the technique easier to apply. By tomorrow, you'll see the difference."

"Thank you, my dearest boyfriend!" she held his hands and squeezed them. "Can we get out? It's a little too hot in here."

"Sure." He couldn't help but ask himself if it was because of the water or because of him. "But before you go to sleep, I want to give you something."

"Me too. See you in 15 minutes? I have to dry my hair first.

"Ok. Meet me by the fireplace."

Needless to say, Neji got there before her. He brought two cups of chamomile tea and her gift, hidden inside a small red box. Sakura came ten minutes after him, holding a medium sized package.

"Well, Neji, tradition says I should give you chocolate. But I know you don't like it. So I decided to kick tradition away. I hope you like it! Happy Valentine's day!" she handed him the package and he opened it carefully. He found a knitted chocolate brown sweater and a knitted beige scarf.

"I made them myself! I used the shirt I stole from you as a model, so I think the sweater should fit."

"Koishii, you are so skilled! You cook, you dance, you knit, you fight and you heal. Tell me something you can't do."

"I can't sing for the life of me. I love karaoke but my voice is not exactly pleasant…" they both laughed.

"Thank you for your presents, they will be very useful here." He liked them a lot, especially because they were made by the lovely girl in front of him. "Ok, here's a small something I want to give to you. I think it will look lovely on you." He handed her the small red box. She opened it and widened her eyes.

"Neji! It's… it's… absolutely beautiful!" she took the small piece of jewel with her slender fingers. It was a hair clip: a silver curvy branch, sided by lots of leaf-shaped jades. "I love it! Thank you!!!" she attacked him with a frantic wave of kisses all over his face.

Mission accomplished.

_Hey boy where do you get it from  
Hey boy where did you go  
I learned my passion in the good old  
Fashioned school of lover boys_

"Neji, are you ready?" Sakura said while knocking on his door.

"No, but you can come in." and so she did.

"I want to give you a little check-up before we go. It will take less than 5 minutes."

"Ok, doctor." Neji gave her a charming wink. She approached him and raised her hands, trying to unbutton the first button of his shirt. He quickly put his hands over hers, stopping her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Please don't. Let me do it."

"Why? I've done it many times before…"

He sighed. "Sakura, I'll be honest with you. When you were just my doctor, it was fine. But now… Seeing my girlfriend unbutton my shirt is completely different. It's not modesty, it's just…" he had a light blush across his cheeks. Sakura, however, blushed furiously when she realized what he was saying.

"Oh… sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel… uh… awkward."

"That's ok." He quickly got his shirt off. She leaned in and narrowed her eyes, tracing his broad muscular chiseled sexy chest with her chakra, trying her best to ignore all those qualities.

"Your lungs are recovering pretty well. I'm such a genius for bringing you here! Now, get dressed, I don't want to leave my parents waiting!"

He wore the sweater she gave him. It fitted perfectly, and was warm and comfortable. He noticed she was wearing the hair clip, which looked really good on her.

During their way, they talked about nothing in particular. Until he asked something he was curious about.

"Why do your parents live here? I mean, they used to live in Konoha, right?"

"Well, the Haruno family is civilian. I'm the only ninja in my family… Do you remember when Konoha almost got destroyed during our first chuunin exam? My parents got really scared – and I didn't tell them I almost got killed, otherwise they would lock me in the basement trying to protect me. So they waited until I was old enough to live by myself. When I was 15, they sold our house, bought me the apartment where I live and moved to Murayama, where my grandparents already lived. It happened right after we got back from Suna, when we rescued Gaara…"

"I see. Didn't you feel lonely?"

"In the first months, yes, a little. But I was always at the hospital, and luckily I have great friends, so I quickly got used to live by myself."

"Sakura… Do you think your parents will like me?"

"Are you worried about them? You shouldn't. My parents are very nice people, I'm sure you'll get along with them very well."

Soon they reached Sakura's parents' house. The pink-haired medic rang the bell, and in no time a beautiful middle-aged woman opened the door, greeting them with a wide smile. Neji saw that the woman was exactly like Sakura, except from her honey-colored hair. 'If her mother is almost a blonde, does it mean that her father has pink hair?' he thought, preparing himself not to laugh at the sight of a pink-haired father-in-law.

"Kaa-chan!!! So good to see you again!" the girl threw herself in the woman's arms and they hugged tightly.

"Sakura-chan! I missed you so much! You look so beautiful; your hair is absolutely gorgeous! Love does wonders to a girl! And you must be Neji, right?"

"Nice to meet you, Haruno-sama." He offered his hand to a polite hand shake, but Sakura's mother wrapped him in her arms.

"Welcome to the family, Neji-kun. I can see my daughter is really happy with you! Trust me, a mother knows. By the way, it's Chiharu"

"Hai, Chiharu-sama."

"So polite! And so handsome! And makes my daughter happy! I couldn't wish for a better son-in-law! Come on, kids, lunch is almost served."

Their house was not very big, because there were only two people living there. Still, it was very welcoming and warm. He saw lots of pictures of Sakura everywhere.

"Tou-chan!" Sakura ran towards a tall, black-haired man. With a great amount of relief, Neji didn't see any sign of pink.

"My baby! It's so good to have you here!"

"Come meet Neji. Tou-chan, this is Hyuuga Neji. Neji, this is Haruno Takeo, my father!"

"It's an honor, Haruno-sama."

"Son, I appreciate your politeness, but I'm not your boss, I'm your in-law, which means I'm family. It's Takeo. And welcome to our home!" they shook hands and headed to the dining room.

"Neji-kun, I hope you like horse meat." Chiharu asked.

He flinched. It was one of the few things he couldn't eat to save his life. But he couldn't give them a bad impression. He blinked and mentally sighed. It was when the other three started laughing.

"Don't worry, I was just kidding! It's grilled squid with rice and tamagoyaki."

"Chiharu-sama, I must confess you scared me." He already felt at ease with her family, so he thought it was safe to say that.

"And you didn't run away promptly. Very brave of you! Chiharu's parents did the same with me when we started dating. They said we would be eating raw grasshoppers! I almost fainted." All of them laughed and started eating. The food was simple, but it was delicious!

"Excuse me, Takeo-sama… Was it you who cooked this?" Neji asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes! How did you find out, son?"

"I guess it's the spices you used. Women tend to use more saffron, but here there's more black pepper. So I guessed it was you."

"Well done!"

After lunch, Chiharu showed Neji some photos of Sakura when she was a child. They laughed a lot, the Harunos remembering the stories and Neji learning everything he could about his girlfriend.

"So we should get going… Come visit us some time!"

"Ok dear! Neji-kun, it was a pleasure!" Chiharu hugged him and Takeo shook his hand.

On their way back, Neji suddenly stopped.

"So…?" he asked anxiously.

"Neji, they loved you! I told you they were nice people."

"Very nice indeed. But there's something I didn't understand…"

Sakura seemed to understand what he meant, because she smiled. "It's my hair, isn't it? It's one of the greatest mysteries in our family. All of my ancestors had normal colored hair. Not even a redhead. My guess is that the pink color is a genetic mutation. That's the only reason I could think of."

"I like your pink hair. It makes you unique. Oh, by the way, I brought some old pictures of mine; they're in my room. Do you want to see them later?"

"As if I would lose this chance! You must have been the cutest little kid ever!"

He chuckled, she giggled, and holding hands, the couple went back home.

_Dining at the Ritz we'll meet at nine precisely  
One two three four five six seven eight nine o' clock  
I will pay the bill, you taste the wine  
Driving back in style, in my saloon will do quite nicely  
Just take me back to yours that will be fine (Come on and get it)_

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Sakura, happy birthday to you!" the crowd cheered loudly. It was Sakura's 18th birthday and Neji insisted in having a great party for her, with all of their friends. The party was being held at nowhere less than the Hyuuga compound. Hiashi insisted in hosting her party, and she couldn't refuse. There were golden balloons everywhere – which she was thankful for. People often thought her favorite color was pink. Actually it was blue, but a golden party was ok for a change. In front of her was a huge decorated chocolate cake filled with passion fruit mousse. (A/N: this combination is perfect, trust me!)

"Make a wish and blow the candle!" Ino said; she was eager to eat that wonderful looking cake.

'I wish I can be happy like this forever.'

'**I wish ****Neji stays hot forever. Don't look at me like that, it's my birthday too and I deserve a wish!'**

'Fair enough.'

Then she blew the candle.

"Speech!" Kiba and Naruto said in unison.

Sakura smiled. "Ok, I have some brief words. First of all, thank you all for coming here! You, my friends, are the reason I kept my sanity so far. I love you guys from the bottom of my heart!" They cheered even louder. "Also, I'd like to thank the Hyuuga family, my family, for kindly hosting this party. And last, but not least, I'd like to thank the fabulous man who stole my heart and keeps it very well. Neji, thank you for making me so happy!" she kissed him lightly and the guests went 'aaaaaawn'. "Here, the first piece of my cake goes to you!" Neji smiled and took the plate from her hands. "Now, people, help yourselves, and on with the party!"

After everyone left, there were only Neji and Sakura in the room.

"Wow, that was the greatest party I've ever had!"

"Your happiness is my happiness, my beautiful."

"It's getting late, I should go back home." But he held her hand.

"No."

"No?" she was taken aback by his attitude.

"No. I didn't give your present yet."

"Of course you did! And it was the party!"

"But I happen to have something else to show you. Come." He led her to the gardens. The moon was full, which gave the atmosphere a silvery look.

"You are so lucky; they are a bit early this year." He hugged her shoulder while they walked, and she hugged his waist.

"Who?"

"They."

In front of her, there was an alley full of blossoming cherry trees. The blossoms were falling in a beautiful light pink rain, carpeting the ground with soft petals. The sight was breathtaking.

"Oh Neji, this is so magic! I can never get enough of cherry blossoms. Guess my name fits me perfectly, ne?"

He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her to the ground. His back was against a cherry tree, and he brought her to his lap.

"What did I do to deserve you, Sakura? You're so perfect for me… You're beautiful, intelligent, sweet, kind, caring, selfless, good smelling… and mine. Ah, Sakura, you are the one." He cupped her cheek in his hand, the other hand hugging her back. "I love you so much that sometimes my chest seems to be about to explode."

Her face was adorned with a beaming smile. She knew how he felt about her since the beginning, but he had never voiced it before. Neither had she. A small tear managed to escape from her eye. A tear of pure happiness. "I love you so much that it makes me want to scream it out loud all the time."

Their lips connected in a very passionate kiss. Their hearts were frantically beating, almost in unison, as they showed how much they loved each other with each caress, each look and each kiss.

_Ooh love, (There he goes again just like a good old-fashioned lover boy)  
Ooh lover boy  
What're you doin' tonight, hey boy  
Everything's all right  
Just hold on tight  
That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy_

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Neji, happy birthday to you!" this time there was no crowd. Only Sakura, covering her beloved boyfriend with kisses. Neji said he didn't want a party. Instead, he wanted to spend his birthday alone with the woman he loved. They went to a secluded lake and made a picnic there. It was summer, so the air was pretty hot and sticky.

"Neji, it's too hot! Let's go for a swim!" she whimpered.

"But we didn't bring any swimsuit, koishii."

"Hm, that's true. But this heat is driving me insane! That's it, I'm going anyway. The water seems so cool and refreshing and inviting…" she started unzipping her shirt.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he asked her, a bit startled.

"Duh? I don't want to soak my clothes!" she took her shirt off, exposing her flat stomach, her beautiful back and her cornflower blue bra. Neji got as red as red can be and looked away briskly.

"Sakura, could you at least do this in a more reserved place?"

"Why? You already saw me in a bikini. It's the same thing."

"No, it's not. Lingerie is much more appealing." He was still looking away.

"Neji, seriously. We will get married; you'll have to get used to see me in undergarments, and even less than that."

"When we get married, then it'll be ok. But we're still not married…"

"Oh, I almost forgot about my good old-fashioned lover boy… Ok then, don't turn around until I get into the water. Is it better?"

"Yes, thank you."

She quickly got rid of her skirt and sandals, and threw herself into the lake. "Oh, this is pure bliss! Come, Neji, this water is heaven! I'll turn around, so take your time."

When she heard the noise of moving water, she turned around to face him. "Feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you. The water is really perfect for a swim."

"Then… catch me!" she said playfully and started swimming away from him.

"Oh, so you think you can escape me?" he swam after her. He was taller than her so he could swim faster, but every time he got near her she would swim like an otter – taking an abrupt turn to the right, or to the left, or even diving under him. But eventually she miscalculated her timing, and he threw his arms around her, pressing her whole body against his.

"Gotcha." He whispered on her ear and earned a shiver from her. Their lips automatically found each other in a kiss so hot that could boil the cool water around them. She buried her hands in his hair as she trailed kisses along his jaw line. He felt her legs encircling his waist and was about to complain when she started kissing down his neck. Neji involuntarily held her closer and she moaned not so softly. 'Did I hurt her?' He looked into her eyes. Her bright jade lust clouded eyes.

He was strong.

He was courteous.

He was old-fashioned.

And still the sight of those green colored lustful pools made him lose it. He kissed her almost ferociously, while his hands looked for the clasp of her bra. And the rest is history.


End file.
